The Ultimate Countdown
by jdauthor
Summary: A fearsome evil is back, returning with the same chaos and destruction that almost destroyed the world back in a time most beings do not remember.
1. Mushroom Kingdom

**Mushroom Kingdom**

 _I'm leaving the Mushroom Kingdom…_

Peach swerved, just missing the Chain Chomp stretching out for her. Perhaps it was unwise to read whilst driving, especially since Lakitu was not around to put her back on the road should she fall down a hole.

 _I'm leaving the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's all your fault. Year after year, I save your backside. Do you have any idea how tiring it is having to rescue you? I've defeated countless enemies, I've ran through endless scorching castles, heck, I've trekked across the galaxy for you on three different occasions, and what do I get? A lousy kiss on the cheek, if I'm lucky. It's one thing the love you don't give me for the lengths of the universe I go to for you, but what really pains my moustache is that you get yourself kidnapped over and over again. Heck…_

She had never known him use the word heck before; he must have been angry.

 _Heck, I'm starting to wonder if the whole thing is a ruse you're using to cover up your fling with Bowser. Don't worry. Next time he takes you, he can have you for as long as he likes, because this fat plumber ain't saving you anymore. I'm taking all my things from your castle, including my ugly hat, then I'm leaving you, my moron of a brother, and that damn annoying dinosaur for good. Good riddance, you ungrateful skank! Mario._

Peach sped through the circuit. Ungrateful? She did not have to give them permission to build Mario's Circuit upon her land. The dull tarmac, the ghastly plants, and those darn Goombas—she had half a mind to swerve into the oncoming tower—were a blight on her beautiful gardens. She certainly did not let them tear her lawns up for monetary gain. _A skank? Who does he think he is?_

She pulled up outside her castle. The Toad Brigade—sans Captain Toad—made a fuss, yammering as she marched across the bridge. She yanked open the door.

"Princess Peach!" Toadette yelled. "You're home early."

"Where is he?"

"Where is who?"

"Mario, of course. Oh, don't tell me I'm too late."

"Sorry, Princess, I don't know what you're talking about. Mario is not here."

"He must be. He wrote me a letter saying he was coming to pick up his things."

"Mario, a letter?" Toadette laughed.

Peach huffed. Then, she thought; Mario, a letter indeed. Come to think of it, she had never seen him read a book, never mind write anything. A machine droned around the castle. The building shook, as if it was about to crumble to the ground.

Hint Toad stuck his head through the door. Peach could not comprehend what he yammered over the low humming buzz coming from above; she did not need to. Slowly, she stepped back outside. Up in the sky was a rusty-looking airship with _his_ beastly face plastered on the front of it. The Toad Brigade tried to stand brave as the Hammer Bros jumped from the ladders dangling from the ship. The Hammer Bros laughed, jumping about the bridge and mocking the Toad Brigade as the foursome waddled forward on their little legs. Nonchalantly, they pulled their hammers over their heads. A brother yelped as he watched his bro taken out by a turnip.

Peach huffed, yanking another turnip out the ground. "How does it feel to have things thrown at you?" The remaining brother's eyes popped out of their sockets, watching as the turnip smacked him in the face. The Toad Brigade high fived each other, cheering as the Hammer Bros transformed into trophies.

Cannonballs wiped out each member of the Toad Brigade. Childish laughter uneased Peach's stomach. Bowser Jr. beamed a grin from his vessel, boxing gloves stretched out from his clown car. Peach grabbed Toadette, holding her up to shield her face. She did not see the fourteen gloves that cracked her in the back of the head. Bowser Jr. laughed with the Koopalings as they watched Peach transform into a trophy. Roy zoomed in on Toadette, causing her to yelp and rush back into the shelter of the castle. Bowser Jr. picked Peach up with the gloves of his car while Iggy and Larry collected the fallen Hammer Bros.

From the deck of his ship, the King of the Koopas smiled as he watched his son ascend. "Look what I got you, Dad!"

Bowser laughed, his eyes gleaming at the lovely trophy of Peach. "So pretty. Almost makes me want to reach out and revive her." He teased touching the trophy, guffawing as he pulled his arm away. A humming sound stretching across the sound ruined the moment. "What is that irritating noise?"

 _YOSHI!_

Bowser grunted. "That damn annoying dinosaur."

"Don't worry, Dad. I've got this." The Koopalings lined up, awaiting the dinosaur. An egg cracked Wendy in the face as Yoshi landed on the airship. Lemmy and Ludwig dashed forward. Yoshi crouched to the ground, spinning around and tripping the duo with his tail.

"Don't just stand there!" Bowser yelled at the rest of his crew onboard the ship. Koopa Troopas, Shy Guys and Dry Bones closed in on Yoshi, as the Koopalings fired their projectiles. Yoshi balled himself inside and egg and rolled around the ship, running over as many enemies as he could before the shell cracked. The Koopalings wound up their Mechakoopas and unleashed them onto the ship. The space around Yoshi shrunk as the Mechakoopas nipped at his feet. He tried as best he could to dodge the Koopalings' cannonballs but took one in the stomach. How could he survive? He was already outnumbered eight to one without the added arsenal of Bowser's ship crew. As he jumped, he noticed a luminous sphere in the sky. He stretched open his mouth and crack the sphere with the tip of his tongue. Bowser Jr. gulped as Yoshi radiated in a fluorescent glow. Yoshi grew a majestic pair of wings and flew above the ship, firing a flurry of fireballs that turned every Koopaling into a trophy.

He landed on the ship, swivelling around as he did a little dance. Bowser bounced forward, grabbing Yoshi and clutching him by the neck. "It's too late. The damage has already been done." He cast an arm out to the Mushroom Kingdom below. An air raiding swoop whooshed through the air as giant Bullet Bills stormed towards Peaches' Castle. Yoshi's tongue struggled, trying to find the air to yell. "Don't worry. I know how much you dinosaurs like a good explosion." Bowser hit Yoshi with a flying slam, smacking him on the floor of the ship and sending him flying into the air. Yoshi threw an egg as he dropped threw the sky, desperately trying to raise himself up. He yelped, watching the bullets heading towards the castle as he fell. The explosion sounded as he hit the ground.


	2. Icicle Mountain

**Icicle Mountain**

Mario awoke on the wet ground, shivering. He stumbled to his feet on shaky legs, embracing himself as he looked around the deserted, snowy landscape. His teeth chattered as he opened his mouth to call for help, but only cold air left his mouth. The temperature was so low, an icicle hanged off the end of his moustache. Behind him was an ocean of slushy water and blocky ice caps. In front of him was a forest of white trees. He stumbled forward, falling onto his knees and back to the unforgiving chill of the snow.

Something broke through the water of the ocean. The big orange fish reached its ugly head out to land, narrowly missing Mario's legs with its wet blue lips. The fish grunted, slowly slithering back into the ocean. Mario buckled as he rose to his feet, knees trembling as he moved forward. He slipped and skidded towards the ocean, just stopping himself before he fell in the water. Of course, there was ice beneath the snow. He certainly was not wearing suitable shoes; not that the rest of his clothing was appropriate for the climate. Bubbles rose to the surface as a shadow lingered beneath the water. Cold, steamy tendrils poured out of Mario's mouth as he dragged his hands and knees across the freezing ground, clawing his way up the ice. The water splashed up into the air once more. The fish bounced on the surface, missing Mario by the skin of its teeth. The fish grunted once more, retreating into the depths of its freezing ocean.

A bead of sweat ran down Mario's forehead and froze to his hair. Perhaps his hat had not fallen off because that too was frozen to his hair. He crawled through the snow, not daring to try and stand again; he hardly had the energy to lift himself up if he wanted to. How did he get in this state? How did he even get here in the first place? No time to think about that right now. Only survival mattered.

Something warm and furry touched his hand. He thought it had just been more snow he had reached out for. Staring down at him was a polar bear dressed in black sunglasses and a pair of purple shorts. Mario held a hand up and tried to speak, but only more air came out of his mouth. The polar bear jumped, crashing down on Mario's back. Mario wheezed, coughing up ice as he held his shaky hand up. The polar bear jumped again, crashing down on Mario and burying his face beneath the wintery landscape. Mario struggled, choking on the snow that filled his mouth and nose. He summoned all his energy, rolling onto his front and firing a single fireball. The cool expression of the polar bear dropped, his sunglasses falling off to reveal panicked eyes as the flames enshrouded him. He dropped to the ground, a trophy that Mario rolled his eyes at as he had to crawl around it.

It seemed like hours before he finally reached the comforting looking canopy of the winter forest, which was not actually comforting at all since the snowballs dropping from the leaves were as cold as the snow showers out in the open. He came to a stump in the ground, when a twig snapped behind him. Well, that was it. Super Mario did not have the energy to lift another finger against anything. He dropped his head in the snow and shut his eyes.

He awoke in a tent, his clothes fine and dry. "Huh?" He lifted off his back, vigour and energy back in his body. Through the opening of the tent, he saw embers rising in the night sky. Slowly, he peeped at the fire then let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Mario."

"Captain Toad? Where are we?"

The captain was sat on a tree stump, smiling as he held a turnip on a stick over the fire. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know. All I know is that we were taken far away to this freezing land. I'm glad I followed you. They must have done something to you on that ship—you did not look like the Super Mario I know! Fortunately, I'd packed a load of mushrooms in my bag for our visit to the Town. I hope you don't mind, but I fed you a few whilst you were sleeping. You should soon feel like your old self. I, err… I also dried your clothes over the fire. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

Mario took his hat off and scratched his hair. "I don't-a understand, Captain. Why are we here?"

Captain Toad took a bite out of his turnip. "Oh, that animal really must have beaten the toadstool out of you."

"Animal?"


	3. The Town

**The Town**

Villager slowly looked over the kart parked outside town hall, giving Mario the same straight line smile he gave the vehicle. "Thank you. I do very much appreciate the kart."

"It's-a no problem," Mario said. "Besides, Isabelle put together the spec."

Isabelle dashed around the kart. "I can tell you the exact specification if you like? We selected a lightweight, circuit special body for easy handling, with crimson red wheels suitable for the roads of the town. We've installed a plane glider should we need to take precautions."

"Don't forget-a bout your own kart," Mario said.

Isabelle jumped. "Oh, where did the time go? I've been so busy setting up the course I forgot about my own vehicle. Excuse me, I must go and prepare myself for the race tomorrow." Isabelle rushed up the steps to the town hall, almost tripping over Luigi who was sat eating an apple. Luigi went bright red, clumsily getting to his feet and apologising before standing by his brother.

The brothers' chat with Villager was interrupted by an unhealthy buzzing sound. Luigi coughed as the motorbike pulled in, smoke spreading forth from a cloud out of its exhaust pipe _._ Mario frowned as Wario and Waluigi laughed between themselves. "Wahl, wahl, wahl," Wario said. "If it isn't Fatio and Pooigi."

"Wah-ha-ha! Good one, Wario."

"There's no need for name calling, friend," Villager said in a calm, monotonous voice, his thin smile still plastered over his face as he stared at Wario. "We are all pals here."

Wario nudged Waluigi. "Who's this guy?"

"He's been at one of these grand prixs before," Waluigi said. "He's that creepy looking fellah, remember?"

"Creepy?" Luigi said. "The only person who is a creep around here is you, Waluigi. Daisy told me about those letters you sent her."

"You're just jealous I'm her number one." Waluigi jumped off the bike, stretched out his lanky legs and did a little tap dance. "Who could possibly resist all this?"

Wario wahed in appreciation. "You're so haht."

"You've never been number one of anything," Mario said. "The only reason you're-a even here is to make up the numbers."

"Watch it, moustache man," Wario said.

Mario rolled his eyes. "You have a moustache, as well."

"No, you. Besides. You'll be eating your words tomorrow when that prize money is mine."

"Prize money? There is no-a prize money. There never has been, ever."

"Oh yeah? Well, perhaps I'll just take that peachy little princess of yours instead."

"Hey." Mario marched forward, his thick eyebrows coming together as he prodded Wario in the chest. "Don't you talk about Peach like that."

Wario revved his engine. "I wouldn't poke a man whilst you're stood in the way of his bike."

Luigi worried, _ooh-ering_ in the background. "I don't trust him, Mario. I'd move."

"He doesn't-a scare me." Mario continued to prod Wario as he revved is engine.

"My friends. Relax." Everybody turned and looked at Villager.

Wario nudged Walugi once more, muttering under his breath. "When did Baby Mario grow up into an axe murderer."

"I have an idea. Why not a little early competition? Why don't you each do a lap of the town? Just for a bit of fun."

Wario rubbed his chin. "You know, the axe murderer might be on to something. I'll tell you what, Mario. One lap each, around the entire town. The winner gets all the coins in the other's pockets. Do we have a deal?"

"Besides the fact I can see you don't even have pockets, I'll accept-a your challenge." Mario and Wario shook hands.

"He-he-he. Imbecile. I don't even have pockets."

"Yeah, I just said that…"

"Shotgun I go first. Come on Waluigi. You don't wanna have to stand around and talk to these losers." Waluigi took his place on the back of Wario's bike. They pulled up to the starting line, just beyond the town hall and before the bridge over the river.

The Villager set his stopwatch. "Go!"

The warm sunshine embraced Captain Toad as he walked through the trees, enjoying the tranquillity of the town. It was so nice to be able to walk through woods without having to worry about those pesky Goombas. It was a shame those buffoons Wario and Waluigi had zoomed passed him on the former's motorbike, lobbing a banana peel at his head as they did so. The blue sky was enough for him to immediately forget his embarrassment. He picked a tree and ate a sweet apple as he walked.

He wandered through Main Street, looking through the windows of every shop he passed. All the friendly animals waved at him as he went by. There was a squirrel, a hamster, a duck. There was even a dog sat by the fountain playing the guitar. He walked around the other side to the Mole who was yelling at people not to get too hasty about the race tomorrow.

He came to the empty beach at the bottom and listened to the soothing sound of the ocean, of the flowing liquids of the waterfall. Captain Toad let out a slow, relaxed breath, taking his place on a stripy sunlounger. _This is the life_ , he thought to himself.

The sound of an engine came round the corner, and the kart whizzed passed him. "You go, Mario," Toad shouted, raising an arm. A cannon burst through the other side of the waterfall.

Mario screeched to a halt, looking over at the giant tank-ship rolling marks into the sand as it came towards him. The machine was grey, save for its red wings, and rolled along on tank treads. Mario defiantly looked down the barrel of its cannon.

Captain Toad jumped off his sunlounger. "No, Mario!"

A furry creature emerged out of a door in the top of the vehicle; Captain Toad could not see its face. It grabbed Mario in its claw, and the tank-ship rose into the air. Captain Toad gasped, sprinting forward. He jumped up, holding onto the tank treads of the machine as it blasted into the sky, flying over the ocean at the end of the town.


	4. Icicle Mountain 2

**Icicle Mountain 2**

Mario kept flicking fire balls in his palm as they walked the cold, morning snowfalls dripping through the trees. "Are you-a sure you didn't see the animal's face?"

"I could only see it from its side," Captain Toad said. "Are you sure you can't remember it doing anything to you aboard its ship?"

Mario rubbed his chin, pondering but coming up with no memory of the space that had happened in between being at the Town and arriving in the blistering frost land. He shook his head. "I have no clue what happened. I must-a had my memory wiped for some reason."

They made their way out of the forest and came to a dead end. A great mountain of ice stretched across the snow, reaching high and blending into the wintery heights of the sky.

Captain Toad shivered. "I don't think we'll be home anytime soon."

"Nonsense," Mario said, raising a fist. "We'll-a scale this thing in no time." _Wah-hoo!_ Mario cheered as he bounced his way up the mountain.

"Err, Mario." Captain Toad took one small step up the mountain and slipped, yelping as he landed on top of his mushroom head.

Mario took his hat off and scratched his hair, looking around. "Aha!" He threw a fire ball at the base of the mountain, unfreezing the exclamation mark that was stuck beneath a layer of ice.

"Ah, good thinking." Captain Toad stepped on the exclamation mark. Green panels with frowny faces on them unravelled from where he stood, creating a pathway up the mountain. He waddled his way towards Mario.

"Watch out!"

Captain Toad looked behind him to see the panels disappearing. Even worse, a Mummy-Me was on his trail. He yelped, running as fast as he could on his little legs. Ice chunks dropped passed Mario. He glanced up, spotting two little figures staring down at him. The ice chunks hit the panels Toad ran upon. The Captain slipped over the edge, holding on to the panel by the tip of his fingers. "Argh! The roads disappearing!"

Mario pulled out F.L.U.D.D. and sprayed a stream of water that froze in mid-air. He ran towards Toad, catching his hand just as the panel he held flipped over and disappeared. He sprayed water at Mummy-Me, freezing him in place.

"Phew. That was close, Mario." Another chunk of ice dropped from above, shattering a hole in the frozen road they stood upon.

Mario glared at the pink and purple figures above. He grunted, bouncing up the mountain as he dodged out of the way of their icy bullets. He caught them up, forging a fire ball in his hand. The pink ice climber hid behind the purple one who trembled. Mario's anger faded. "What's-a wrong with you?"

"Your fire," Popo said. "We thought you were trying to melt the mountain."

"Why-a would I do that?"

Popo relaxed. "Sorry. It was our mistake." Nana moved out from behind his back and stood beside him. "We thought you were that monster who's been dwelling inside the mountain." Popo shook his head. "Ever since it arrived it's been setting fire to this beautiful work of nature. Every day now, this mountain grows smaller and smaller. Soon, it will be a puddle of slush in the ground."

Captain Toad yammered from below. They looked down. No sign of Toad. Only a hole leading into the mountain.


	5. The Town 2

**The Town 2**

It was close to midnight when Isabelle called the emergency meeting inside the Town Hall. She sat at the top of the table, finishing off her notes. To her left, Wario and Waluigi made stupid noises as they pulled faces at Luigi. Villager sat next to Luigi, a thin smile on his face as always.

"Okay," Isabelle said, putting the final full stop in her piece of work. "We are ready to begin." She turned over her notepad to a new page. "I will take minutes whilst we have this meeting. Now, we must quick—"

"Hold up a second, giraffe," Wario said. "Where are the refreshments?"

"You've taken enough advantage of this town's hospitality, you slob," Luigi said. "You've already drank the Roost Café dry."

"Bah! That was just a snack. I only had an americano… and two lattes… and six cappuccinos… and a dozen espressos, but still, if it wasn't for all that coffee, I wouldn't be able to stay awake and offer my expert advice for this boring meeting. Why have we been called here anyway?"

Isabelle looked around the room. "So, we are all the contenders?" She squeezed her forehead with her fingers. "Oh, the Mayor is not going to be happy."

"Meh." Wario put his hands behind his head and laid back, lifting his chair as he rested one leg on his lap. "Waht you're gonna do?"

The door opened. Luigi and Waluigi immediately sat up as Daisy sauntered across the room, her elegant yellow dress flowing behind her. She walked towards Luigi's side of the table. Waluigi pulled out a chair. "Come on, bah-bee. Why don't you come sit next to Waluigi?"

"No thanks," Daisy said. "I ought to file a restraining order against you after the photos you sent me." She pulled the chair out next to Luigi, smiling as she sat down next to him. Luigi blushed, murmuring as he glanced away. "There is the six of us here. Rosalina has taken a trip to Donkey Kong Island. Donkey Kong never answered Mario's invite. If she can recruit him and return by morning we will have eight. How many contestants do we need for the race?"

"The Mayor has requested ten," Isabelle said. "We'll still be short by two drivers."

"Relax, friend," Villager said. "Couldn't we just ask members of the town to make up the numbers? Tom Nook said he would consider it for the right price."

Isabelle shook her head. "Even if we found two volunteers, it would not be possible. Nobody in this town apart from you or me has received their kart driving licence. It would be illegal for them to take part in the race."

"Kart driving licence?" Waluigi mumbled, nudging Wario with his elbow. "Do you have one of those?" Wario did not respond as he was fast asleep.

"Is there nobody else we can invite?" Luigi asked.

"Yoshi couldn't make it as he was ill," Daisy said. "As for Cap…" She couldn't concentrate with Wario snoring in the background. She lobbed a turnip at his head. He wahed, rubbing his face as he ate the turnip. "As for Captain Toad and Mario, nobody has seen them since this morning."

"He-he-he," Wario laughed. "Mario probably ran off when he realised he couldn't beat my lap time."

"What about Princess Peach?" Isabelle asked, scribbling down notes as she talked.

Daisy shrugged. "Nobody has seen her since yesterday. It's like she disappeared into thin air." She rubbed her chin, thinking.

Luigi leant forward, accidently banging his fist on the table. "It was you!" He pointed at Wario. "You even said you were going to take her for yourself."

"If I had Peach, why would I be wasting my time staring at your ugly face?"

"Guys," Villager said, still smiling. "Can't we just all get along?"

"I bet you locked her up somewhere—and Mario and Captain Toad too," Luigi said, prodding his finger on the table as he glared at Wario. "You'd do anything to lower the competition. Even ruin the race for everybody else."

"I don't need to lock everybody up to ruin the race. I'll do that by easily winning it and ruining all your dreams."

Daisy snapped her fingers. "That's why nobody from the Koopa Kingdom accepted Mario's invitation. It all makes sense now."

"Of course they wouldn't come because of that," Wario said. "They knew they had no chance of beating me."

"Not that, you buffoon. Bowser must have devised a plan to kidnap Peach and Mario whilst we were all off our guard. That crafty monster! We have to stop him."

"I appreciate you're upset," Isabelle said. "But if this race does not go through, we are all going to have the wrath of the Mayor on our hands. He could not express anymore his need for this race to go ahead."

"Never mind the race. Our friends are in danger." Daisy pushed off her chair and ran off into the night.

Wario yawned. "Come on, Waluigi. We have a big race to prepare for tomorrow."

"Didn't you listen to anything that was just said?" Isabelle shouted, stress lines hanging over her head. "There won't be a race tomorrow if we don't have enough racers." Wario and Waluigi did not reply as they exited the Town Hall. Isabelle put her head on the table. "This meeting could not have gone any worse." Villager reached his hand across and patted her on the head. He scrunched his fingers through her fur.

Luigi carried his torch as he wandered around the trees under the twinkling starlight sky. He lifted rocks and searched inside bushes for rabbit holes his brother may have fallen down. He thought back to the morning. Mario had set off on his lap and had never returned. How could he have gone missing in such a short amount of time? It had to have been Wario and Waluigi. They must have set a trap for him during their lap because they knew they could not beat him.

"Luigi."

Luigi almost leapt out of his skin, turning around. He almost leapt out of his skin again. "Daisy? What are you doing?"

She smiled. "It's my Bloom Coach me and Peach used back in the team races." She touched the brown bonnet. "Do you like it?"

"You know there is a driving curfew here," Luigi said. "You're going to wake up the Town."

"Oh, Luigi. You are a worrier." She opened the door. "Here, get in."

"Wah? Where are we going?"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Don't make that noise. You sound like one of them." She sighed. "We can't stay here. We have to look for Mario, Peach and Toad. Bowser isn't usually smart enough to come up with such a cunning plan. Maybe this time we should be more scared of him than usual."

Luigi scanned around with his torch. He nodded and took his place in the back of her car. Daisy put her foot down, and they left the village behind them. Out of an alleyway in Main Street, Waluigi pulled out on his motorbike. He watched the one he wanted taken away by that fool in green. He revved his engine and set off into the night.


	6. Bowser's Airship

**Bowser's Airship**

Bowser looked over the trophy of Peach, marvelling over her as he had been doing ever since he had captured her. He held a white dress in his left claw, a pink one in his right. "Which dress do you think would look better on her, Morton?" Morton responded with a incomprehensible noise. Bowser guffawed, throwing the dresses on the ground as he held his belly. "You're certainly right about that."

Bowser Jr. popped his head through the door. "You've got a visitor, Dad."

"A visitor? In the middle of the sky?"

"He says his name is R.O.B.. He says you might remember him from the grand prix he once entered."

Bowser rubbed his chin. "Yes… I do recall an out of place robot driving through my castle. I always wondered where Mario had invited that thing from." He grunted. "What does that piece of junk want?" He followed his son. "Keep watch, Morton. Make sure she doesn't suddenly come alive." Morton saluted, responding with a garbled string of noises.

Bowser met the robot outside on the deck. R.O.B. was surrounded by the other seven Koopalings, who were surrounded by the majority of the ship crew. "Greetings, Bowser," R.O.B. said. "I come bearing words from the Master." He pushed a button on his chest. A voice that was not R.O.B.'s, a voice that was much more human began to talk.

"Hello, Bowser. How are you enjoying your new princess?"

Bowser groaned. "She's just fine, thanks."

"Wonderful! That is so good to hear. I would hate for there to be something wrong with your fancy new princess after all the trouble we went to to ensure you captured her. You must be so thrilled our plan succeeded without any hiccups."

"I appreciate your help."

"Oh, I am certainly sure you do. Now, Bowser, I need you to help me. Remember your end of the deal? I am going to need you to go through with that, right now."

Bowser scratched the dirt from his nails. "I don't think I want to."

"Forgive me, Bowser, I think R.O.B. may be breaking up. I don't think I heard you properly. It sounded like you said you weren't going to commit to your end of the deal."

"I'm not. I don't need to. You've already given me what I want."

"Oh, Bowser, I hope you are joking. Believe me, it is within your best interests to comply."

"Are you threatening the King of the Koopas? Do you know who I am?"

"Do _you_ know who _I_ am? If you did, you would not raise your voice against me."

"You don't want me to raise my voice, huh? How about this?" Bowser grabbed R.O.B. and lifted him above his head. "Here's what I think to your deal." He launched R.O.B. over the side of the airship. His crew cheered as the Koopalings mocked the robot falling through the sky.

Bowser went back into his room. Morton said something incomprehensible and stuck his thumb up.

"Good," Bowser said. "Just as I left her." He picked the dresses back up and looked the princess over once more.


	7. The Town 3

**The Town 3**

Wario laughed as he drove his cargo, coming across the trophy of Luigi. Clinking metal rang in his head, ruining his dream. He opened his eyes and found himself behind prison bars, A scowling dog looking at him. "Wah?"

"Don't act surprised," Copper said. "You all thought you could get away with it. Scamming the town with your promise of a race and then doing a runner. Don't you worry, buddy. We'll track down the rest of you swindlers and put them behind bars." Copper shook his head. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, tricking an honest town like this one." Wario opened up his mouth to wah. "Save it, buddy. You're going to serve your time for this one."

A Bulldog lethargically entered the room. "It is all good," Booker said. "We have ten racers."

"What?" Copper said. "You mean Isabelle sorted it?"

"I think she said the Mayor personally organised the new race himself."

Wario placed his hands on the prison bars. "Does that mean I am free to go?"

"You ain't going nowhere," Copper shouted. "You can rot in here for the stunt you've pulled."

"Actually, Copper, Isabelle said the Mayor requested we let him go," Booker said. Wario jumped, raising an arm in celebration. "Under the condition that he will be one of the racers."

Wario laughed. "No problem. Tell me, who are the bozos I am going to drive off the track?"

The animals lined up on the sides of the track, eagerly anticipating the race. "I don't know about this," Isabelle said, her hands trembling as they held on to her wheel. "These new racers sound mean."

"Relax, Isabelle," Villager said, reaching across and stroking her kart door. "The Mayor has sent the competition on his own behalf. I'm sure it will be fine." An engine roared behind them. "Ah, here comes one of them now."

A pink aircraft with a fin pulled up beside them. An angry Japanese warrior wearing a helmet jumped out of the vessel. Samurai Goroh spread his hands over the surface of Isabelle's kart. "That's a fine looking machine you're driving, little lamb."

"Please, sir. I—I'm a dog."

"You know the law here in the Town? If you lose the race, you forfeit your machine."

"Actually, nowhere in the Town's laws does it say anything about anybody having to forfeit their vehicle regardless of the outcome of the r—" Five more vehicles pulled up to the starting line, all as equally as intimidating as the Fire Stingray. Isabelle put her head in her hands. "This is not what I imagined when the Mayor said a good spirited race."

No spacecraft intimidated her more than the Black Bull. A man emerged from it, bull horns atop his mask. "I am the Emperor of Brutality, Black Shadow. Soon, I will win the race, and all of you pathetic creatures in this puny town will have no choice but to bow down and accept me as your champion, hahaha!"

"Not so fast, Black Shadow." The animals gasped as they looked at the muscular bounty hunter stood beside the glorious Blue Falcon.

Black Shadow grunted. "Captain Falcon."

"That's right, you heathen. Do you really think you are going to win the race? Think again." The animals applauded the audacity of Captain Falcon's outrageous comeback.

"I'll turn you into roadkill before this race is done," Black Shadow said as he took his place inside the Black Bull.

"Oh yeah?" Captain Falcon said. "Well I'm going to beat you so bad, you won't come any higher than second." The animals celebrated as he took his place inside the Blue Falcon.

Wario pulled up beside Isabelle and Villager on his motorbike. "Waht did I miss?"

In the absence of Lakitu, Chip the beaver held the starting lights with a fishing rod. The green light glowed, and the F-Zero contestants sped off leaving the other three racers behind in a cloud of smoke. Villager and Isabelle tried their best with no real hope of catching the others up. Wario rested his hands behind head, driving purely with his feet. "He-he-he. Morons. I am purposely saving my energy at the back. Don't they all know I'll overtake them all when I hit them with a lightning strike?"

Isabelle turned around, unable to help herself as she drove back to Wario. "Actually, the rules of the race have been changed by the Mayor. All item boxes have been removed from the track." She turned back around as Wario muttered to himself. The F-Zero racers sped passed, already lapping them.

Black Shadow led the way. Five racers crashed into the ocean as he made his way to his last lap. He caressed his fingertips together. "Everything is going to plan. Soon, I will be champion." The Blue Falcon sped passed him. "Captain Falcon?" Black Shadow yelled so loudly his voice could be heard over the sound of the engines. "How could you possibly overtake me?"

"I was travelling at a faster rate of miles covered per distance than you, that's how." The town cheered Captain Falcon's witty comment. They roared in celebration as he raced over the finish line first. Captain Falcon got out of his spacecraft and bowed. "You animals are too kind. Please, please, the real heroes in this race are this brave boy, this daring dog, and this noble walrus."

"You think I'm a walrus?" Wario yelled.

Black Shadow clapped. "Well done, Falcon. You have fallen right into my trap."

"What do you mean?" Black Shadow laughed, stretching out his hands and creating a ball of electricity. He fired it at Captain Falcon, locking his arms and body in an electric tornado. Captain Falcon moaned as he squirmed. "Aaagh! What are you doing?"

"Come on out, Blood Falcons!" An army of ghosts emerged from Captain Falcon. They were sinister versions of himself clad in crimson red clothing and dark blue helmets with skulls plastered atop them. "Are you ready?"

The Blood Falcons smiled. "Yeah, we're ready."

Black Shadow waved at the town. "Farewell, animals."

The Blood Falcons ran around punching everyone in sight, yelling, "Falcon punch!" Isabelle drove around in a circle as she watched her friends turned into trophies, the likes of Bertha and Aurora and Tom Nook. Villager sat still in his kart, smiling.

Black Shadow raised his hands, creating a great ball of electricity over his head. "Master will be so proud of me."

Captain Falcon puffed out his chest, breaking out of the electric tornado. He skidded over to Black Falcon and hit him in the face with a knee of justice. The electricity dwindled from Black Falcon's hands as he fell to his knees. "Come on!" Captain Falcon yelled, jumping into his Blue Falcon.

Isabelle drove to where they had put the item boxes, sharing all those that contained mushrooms between herself, Villager and Wario. They sped off out of the town flanking the Blue Falcon.

Black Shadow shouted from the town. "We'll get you yet, Falcon! You can run, but you can't hide!"

Isabelle looked back at all her lost friends, at the trophy version of her brother Digby. She put her head down on her steering wheel as she drove.


	8. Icicle Mountain 3

**Icicle Mountain 3**

Mario and the Ice Climbers rushed down the icy mountain tunnels, following the yammering cries of Captain Toad. They came to an opening where the walls were ablaze. An orange dragon flew about, Toad grasped in his mouth. Mario passed between hot sweats and shivers as he walked by the ice blocks frozen into the ground. He did a double take. There was a young man trapped inside one of the ice blocks, ever so slowly tapping his finger on the surface. Mario turned to the sound of a roar. Charizard had dropped Toad on the ground as he stared at the Ice Climbers. Nana trembled, hiding behind Popo's back. Mario fired a fire ball at the dragon. It was super not effective.

Charizard turned towards him as he stomped through the snow, roaring and unleashing a blaze of fire from his mouth. Mario turned to run—too late. "Hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hargh!" he yelled as the fire burned his backside, smoke coming off him as he ran around frantically in a circle.

Charizard turned around, stomping back towards the Ice Climbers. He let out another blaze of fire from his mouth. Popo stood in place as he watched the flames rush towards him. Nana jumped over him, grabbing his hand as she did, throwing him over herself. The fire continued passed them, setting more of the inside walls of the mountain on fire. The Ice Climbers worked together, smashing small bits of ice with their hammers at Charizard. Charizard choked as the blistering ice shattered over his face.

Captain Toad noticed the man frozen in a block of ice. He rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a pickaxe power-up and cracking open the layer of ice. The man shivered as he tried to yell. "Ch-Ch-Charizard!" Charizard turned to towards the Pokémon Trainer. He jolted in pain as the ice smashed off his face. "Pl-please! Stop attacking him."

The Ice Climbers stopped their onslaught. "This monster is yours?" Popo asked.

"He's not a monster," The Pokémon Trainer said. "He's a Pokémon." Charizard pulled in beside him, and he stroked it on the head. "Speaking of Pokémon, where did my other three go?"

"Are these them?" Captain Toad brushed away the snow that was covering three blocks of ice.

"Squirtle! Ivysaur! Pichu! Let's get you all out of there."

"Wait-a minute," Mario said, still feeling the sting in his backside. "How do we know they aren't-a gonna attack us like your Pokémon?"

"Yeah," Popo said. "Your Pokémon is melting the mountain."

"It's not Charizard's fault," the Pokémon Trainer said. "We were trapped here by a rider in black. Charizard only set the inside of the mountain on fire because he was trying to break us out of the blocks of ice we were frozen in. Please, you've got to help get my friends out before they freeze for good."

Mario looked at Toad and nodded. Toad used a pickaxe power-up to break out the other creatures whilst Mario put out the fires on the inside walls of the mountain using F.L.U.D.D.. Squirtle and Ivysaur were very friendly, nodding at Captain Toad with thanks.

"Who's this little guy?" Captain Toad said, smiling as he reached a hand out to pet Pichu. Pichu growled, and Toad flinched back.

"Oops, I should have warned you about him," Pokémon Trainer said. "He's feistier than he looks."

"You said-a you were trapped here," Mario said. "Why?"

The Pokémon Trainer shrugged. "We were walking through a forest. The Next thing I know, the rider in black jumped out in front of us and vortexed us here."

Mario rubbed his chin. "Hmm. It seems-a like the both of us were brought all the way out here for a reason. Perhaps-a we need to go to the top of the mountain to see our surroundings."

Nana bounced up and down. "We know a shortcut," Popo said. "We can get you to the top in no time." Mario nodded. The Pokémon Trainer summoned his creatures back into their Poké Balls. The group followed the Ice Climbers back to the outside of the mountain and up towards the summit.


	9. Mushroom Kingdom 2

**Mushroom Kingdom 2**

A great sense of dread filled Luigi and Daisy as they drove the tracks through the Mushroom Kingdom. Usually at this point, they would have seen Peach's Castle in the distance. It was too big a landmark not to notice its absence on the horizon. That did not make the confirming blow any softer as they came around the corner to Peach's gardens. Daisy screeched to a halt, jumping out the Bloom Coach as she beheld the wreckage of Peach's Castle. Luigi followed her, falling to his knees. "It's all gone. Blown-a to pieces. Wah?" He spotted the trophy of Yoshi. He ran over to it, touching its baseplate and reviving the dinosaur.

 _YOSHI!_

"Yoshi! What happened here?"

The dinousaur bounced up and down, differing between pointing at the debris of the castle and the sky. "Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

"I-a don't understand."

"Yoshi!" He gestured with his hand to follow as he ran towards the castle.

They came to the trophies of the Toad Brigade laid on top of the bridge. Luigi and Daisy revived all four of them. They each yammered as they came back to life. "Slow down," Daisy shouted. "What happened here?"

"There was an airship," Hint Toad said. "Then we were all hit by cannonballs. We don't know what happened to Peach."

"Peach was here?" Something moved beneath the rubble of bricks, carpets and paintings that were the remains of Peach's Castle. "Stay back." She pulled a turnip from the ground, just in case. A pink mushroom emerged from the wreckage. Daisy relaxed, reaching her hands out and helping pull Toadette from the rubble she was stuck beneath. "Are you alright?"

"Bowser has Peach!" Toadette yelled. "Bowser has peach!"

"Oh-a no-a! What-a we gonna do? What-a we gonna d—"

Daisy slapped Luigi across the face. "Calm down, man." She turned back to Toadette. "How did Bowser capture her?"

"The Koopalings turned her into a trophy. Then they took her up to Bowser's airship. I was hiding in here from all the commotion. When I stuck my head out the door, I saw a giant Bullet Bill coming towards the castle. I was stuck under the rubble until you came."

Daisy shook her head. "The castle is ruined. Too bad we'll have to clear up this mess later. Peach is out there somewhere under the vicious hands of Bowser. Have you seen Mario?"

"We have not. Peach hinted she rushed back to the castle to see him, but he was not here."

"It must have been a ruse from Bowser. Yet something doesn't add up. He has never had the brains to pull something so crafty off before. He has certainly never tried to destroy the entire castle before. If only we had some kind of machine to fly after them in."

"Yoshi! Yoshi!" The dinosaur ran to the bottom of the gardens, leading them to the Odyssey airship parked by the fountain.

"Good-a thinking, Yoshi," Luigi said, patting the dinosaur on the head. Luigi's smile disappeared. "If only we-a knew how-a to fly it."

They opened the door and entered the flying vessel, looking over the controls and not having a clue what any of them meant. "It's no use," Daisy said. "Even if we knew how to fly this, how would we ever find Peach?"

"I can help with that." Luigi nearly banged his head on the roof as he leapt up at the sight of the talking cap. "Sorry," Cappy said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yoshi?"

"That's right. I know how to control the Odyssey. I flew it with Mario when we went after Bowser before. He'd taken Peach and my sister Tiara. In fact, Peach seems to be wearing Tiara right now. I know, because I can track the movement of my sister. She is up in the air somewhere which makes me think Bowser took her as well. I can help you all find them."

Daisy, Luigi and Yoshi nodded in agreement. They made sure Toadette and the Toad Brigade were happy to stay with the remains of the castle before setting off into the sky.


	10. Hocotate

**Hocotate**

Isabelle and Villager began to slow as they drove through barren desert land, lagging behind Captain Falcon and Wario. "We're all out of mushrooms," Isabelle said, speaking through the headset Captain Falcon had given her.

"Walrus man," Captain Falcon said. "Have you any mushrooms left?"

"Wario is the name. And no, I have no mushrooms left to share. I used them all practicing wheelies."

"Fool," Captain Falcon muttered under his breath. "Alright. We'll have to pull in here and see if the good people have anything that can help us move faster." They entered a rusty looking spaceship yard that looked on the verge of decay. Little creatures in colours of red, blue, yellow, white and purple were dotted about the surface. "Be vigilant everyone. We don't know what these things are capable of."

Captain Falcon abandoned his Blue Falcon, while Isabelle, Villager and Wario left their respective vehicles. Captain Falcon held his arms out, stopping anyone from moving forward towards the Pikmin. "Relax, everyone. I have got this." He bent to his knees, looking into the eyes of a blue Pikmin. Something flashed before his eyes. It seemed like a memory where he had seen the little Pikmin, but he could not remember having seen them before. He shook his head. "Alright, blue thing," he said, pointing a finger. "Enough with the mind control. What corrupt organisation are you running here?" The Pikmin responded making a garbled babyish squeak. "A wise guy, eh? Let's see how wise you are inside and interrogation room inside Mute City." The Pikmin squirmed as Captain Falcon grasped it in his hand.

Wario jumped into a circle of the Pikmin, beaming a hungry smile at them. He licked his lips and picked a red one up. "These look delicious." The Pikmin yammered as they ran around him as he put the red Pikmin up his nose. Isabelled winced as he chewed on the Pikmin. "It adds to the flavour," he said, sucking on his fingers.

A whistle rang through the air, making them all hold their hands to their ears. The Pikmin lined up behind a strangle little, alien man in a spaceship. He threw a purple Pikmin at Captain Falcon, which knocked him back and caused him to drop the blue Pikmin in his hand. He threw a group of Pikmin at Wario. Wario wheezed as they nipped him, coughing up the red Pikmin he had eaten.

"Woah, Alph! Stop!" another alien spaceman ordered. Alph blew his whistle, ordering the Pikmin off Wario.

Captain Falcon marched towards Alph. "Just what in the big blue is going on here?"

"Wait!" Isabelle yelled. "I don't think they mean us any harm." She turned to the other spaceman. "I am Isabelle. Please forgive us for harming your creatures. We are stressed having just fled from our home."

"I am Captain Olimar." He shook hands with Isabelle. "Forgive Alph. He too has been turfed out of his home."

"My planet Koppai was attacked by a giant, crocodile fortress," Alph said. "I fled before its laser canon could destroy me. I crashed on a distant planet, rounding up Pikmin to rebuild my ship and help me fly home. But when I flew back to Koppai I found it surrounded by a purple forcefield. Then, something emerged from the forcefield, slapping my ship through space and causing me to crash here."

"We have been trying to collect the missing pieces of his ship, so we can fly back to Koppai and investigate the purple forcefield surrounding the planet," Olimar said.

"Perhaps we could help you find the pieces of the missing ship in return for your hospitality," Isabelle suggested.

Olimar looked at Alph, who shrugged. "The more hands the better."

Isabelle looked back at the others. "What do you guys think?"

Captain Falcon rubbed his chin. "Alright, Captain. We'll help you put your ship back together. But I don't want any of these bugs crawling around my bed while I'm sleeping."

An engine revved in the background. Wario was sat on his motorbike. "I'm not staying in this dump of a town. I'm leaving." He set off, then stopped. "Oh, and look what I've got." He held up a bunch of golden mushrooms. He laughed as he sped off into the distance.

Captain Falcon shook his fist. "That dastardly walrus."

Olimar led them through the rusty gates of the Hocotate Freight and took them to their resting chambers.

Captain Falcon tossed and turned as he slept. He dreamt he was driving down a cobbled road heading towards a robot. He jumped out of the Blue Falcon and hit the robot with a falcon punch. The sound of whaling Pikmin haunted him as he slid through a group of them. He woke up. Whaling Pikmin were running all around him.

"They've followed us here!" Isabelle yelled.

"How could they possibly know where we are?" Captain Falcon said, jumping up from his bed. He looked out of the window at the Blood Red Falcon spacecrafts heading their way led by the Black Bull. "That damn Walrus. I bet he sold us out."

"Our karts aren't quick enough," Isabelle said. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry," Olimar said. "I have a plan."

Black Shadow pulled up outside the gates of the Hocotate Freight. "You know what to do, Blood Falcons." The Blood Falcons falcon punched the gate until they broke it off its hinges. Black Shadow narrowed his eyes. "Wait just a second..." The entire roof of the main building of the Hocotate Freight opened as a space rocket rose into the air. The Blue Falcon followed it out into the stars. Black Shadow grunted. "I'll get you yet, Falcon."

Villager pressed his face against the window of the Ship, smiling as he waved at all the Blood Falcons below.


	11. Icicle Mountain 4

**Icicle Mountain 4**

The Ice Climbers climbed over the last ridge of the mountain. Popo smiled as he cast his hand out. "Behold, the world in all its glorious view." He and Nana gasped.

"What the?" Mario said. "What has-a happened to the world?" Giant purple domes were littered throughout the lands below.

"What are those things?" Captain Toad said.

"I don't know. I think we should avoid them." They trudged through the snow, which was like walking through a deep ocean of coldness. Mario once again flicked the fireballs in his hands. "We could-a do with the fire from your dragon."

"Charizard needs rest," Pokémon Trainer said. "The cold has taken the energy out of him."

Captain Toad put a hand above his eyes. "What is that silver thing in the distance?"

The Ice Climbers led the way, bouncing down the hill. Captain Toad waddled after everyone else. "Looks like a tank to me," Mario said.

Captain Toad's heart skipped a beat. "That's the ship!" His eyes whizzed around the vehicle half buried beneath snow. "That's the ship that took you away, Mario."

"Hey!" A fox emerged from behind the Landmaster.

"Argh! That's him! He's the one who took you."

"What?"

Mario's eyebrows closed in together. "So, it was-a you who left me in this frozen hell to die."

"What are you talking about? I've never seen any of you before in my life." Pokémon Trainer threw a Poké Ball, and out came Pichu. Fox rolled his eyes. "This is stupid." Pichu growled and said his own name as he sprayed out a jolt of electricity. Fox spasmed as the shock coursed through his body. "Argh! What is wrong with you people?"

"Why don't-a you tell me why you dropped me here?" Mario demanded.

Radio waves crackled. "You alright down there, Fox? We're picking up high response on your pain receptors."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Slippy. I just got stung by a… I don't really know what I got stung by. I'm sure I'll be alright."

"What's happening down there, Fox?" Peppy said.

"Relax, Peppy. It's all under control. There's just some delusional man with a moustache claiming I brought him to this ice land."

"But I saw you," Toad shouted. "You popped out of that vehicle and snatched him in your hands."

"Wait. Are sure it was this vehicle?" Fox wiped away the snow that covered the Landmaster, revealing the blue wings.

"Well, it was almost the same. Only the wings were red."

Fox sighed. "That explains it."

"I don't-a understand."

"You were brought here by a Wolf… Wolf O'Donnell. He's a mercenary who must have been hired to bring you here."

Mario shook. "Bowser. It must have been him."

"That's a fine story," Pokémon Trainer said. "But it doesn't explain who you are or what you are doing here."

Fox wiped more snow off his vehicle, revealing a huge dint in the side of it. "I was flying over this land when I was blindsided by the same Wolf I already mentioned. He must have lured me here with the fake call of distress I was responding to."

"It's almost like we're all being shoved in this ice land on purpose, away from the rest of the world," Pokémon Trainer said.

"Something rotten is certainly in the air," Fox said. "None of those purple domes were down below when I first got here. One suddenly burst up out of nowhere. They keep emerging, sucking up all the land around them. The ground here was rumbling earlier, and I was worried once was going to burst up around me."

Nana panicked. Popo put his hand on her shoulder and assured her there was nothing to worry about.

"What-a do we do now? Do we go to the purple domes?"

"My team has picked up suspicious activity in the atmosphere. They've sent my friend to pick me up. I say we take to space and see what is causing all this commotion."

"Until then, I suggest we huddle together for warmth," Toad said. They bunched together, looking at Fox.

He shook his head. "I'll be waiting in the Landmaster." He got back into his vehicle.


	12. Dream Land

**Dream Land**

They departed Olimar's ship onto the peaceful area of green land. "This place looks nice," Olimar said as he shut the ship door. Pikmin and Waddle Dees stared at each other as they wandered through the grass.

Captain Falcon jumped out of the Blue Falcon and studied the Waddle Dees. "I don't like the looks of those creatures."

"Relax, friend," Villager said. "I'm sure they're harmless."

"I don't know. They look like they're concealing repressed rage to me." A Waddle Dee slipped and fell on its face.

"Look," Isabelle shouted. "Even the trees here have faces. This place is so cu—"

The tree blew a furious gale, taking the breath out of Isabelle as she shot through the air. Villager quickly caught her in his net, before the wind lifted him up. Olimar grabbed hold of Villager's feet, Alph grabbed hold of his, and soon the only thing keeping them from blowing into the sky was the line of Pikmin linked between Alph and a tree stump.

Captain Falcon moved slowly as he charged through the wind. He risked completely losing his balance, dashing forward with a raptor boost. If he came short of Whispy Woods, he would be blown back into his friends, knocking them all into oblivion. He connected with the trees' noes, causing it to pause for breath. A luminous sphere fell out of the tree leaves. Captain Falcon quickly cracked it open before Whispy Woods got its breath back. He radiated in fluorescent light as he called the Blue Falcon, jumping into the engine and charging into the hostile tree. The branches fell apart on impact, and Whispy Woods turned into a trophy. The Blue Falcon played an electric guitar solo as Captain Falcon celebrated, doing a spinning back heel kick.

A little figure in a mask burst out the trees, holding a gold sword to Captain Falcon's neck. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut your throat." A cake splattered Meta Knight in the mask. He grunted, looking around while still keeping enough composure to keep his blade held on Captain Falcon.

A pink blob jumped up between them both, separating them. He waved at Captain Falcon. "Hi!"

"Kirby, you fool," Meta Knight muttered.

Captain Falcon grabbed Meta Knight in his fists. "What kind of crooked place are you running here? Trees that attack you with hurricanes?"

Meta Knight swiped his wings, pushing Captain Falcon off him. "Touch me again and I'll put Galaxia straight through you."

Another cake splattered Meta Knight in the face. He cursed under his breath. "What are you doing, Kirby?"

"He defeated Whispy Woods," Kirby said. "You should be friendlier. You know how much of a nuisance that tree is."

"You are too simple, Kirby," Meta Knight said. "The enemy of my enemy does not make my enemy my friend. We have no reason to believe they won't attack us next."

"Look at my crew," Captain Falcon said. "Do we look like we could harm anybody?"

Meta Knight eyed the weird spacemen and their odd little followers. He studied the dog waving at him. He narrowed his eyes. "I don't like the look of that guy with the net."

"You don't like the look of anyone," Kirby said. "I think we should trust them."

"I think we should send them and their ship back to the forgotten part of space they belong."

"Well, I think we should give them a home here in Dream Land."

I'LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT!

Heavy footsteps stomped forward. Kirby frowned. "Oh no, not him."

"Just pretend you can't see him," Meta Knight said, pulling his wings over his face.

A giant, penguin-like creature wearing a robe and holding a massive hammer over his shoulder beamed a smile at them. A Waddle Dee wearing a bandana stood by his feet. "Greetings, newcomers," Bandana Dee said. "Welcome to Dreamland. Introducing to you his royal highness himself…"

"Not this again," Meta-Knight muttered under his breath.

Bandana Dee unrolled a giant scroll that rolled all the way to the end of the line of Pikmin lagging behind Alph. "He is the grappler of the Gordos, the hitman of the hammer, the manager of the mallet, the Jupiter of the jump, the…"

"Please," Kirby said, looking at Captain Falcon. "Say something to interrupt this nonsense."

"…the wangerer of Waddle Dees, the prettiest of penguins, the Duke of Dream Land, the Prince of Popstar, ladies and gentlemen, I give to you, King Dedede!" Bandana Dee clapped as King Dedede placed his hands on his hips and held a valiant stare aimed at the clouds.

"It is I, the great King Dedede." Captain Falcon and his crew gawked. King Dedede laughed. "Please, don't let my immaculate physique intimidate you. I am as fair as I am majestic. I am sure we can solve this dispute in the royal court."

"There is no royal court," Kirby interrupted.

King Dedede held a hand above his eyes, looking out at the horizon. "My royal degree stretches far and wide across these lands."

"You're still saying it wrong," Meta Knight said. "It's decree, not degree." Bandana Dee shushed him.

King Dedede spotted the Pikmin. Cakes took over his eyeballs that nearly popped out of their sockets. Saliva dribbled from his mouth. "Where did you get those delicious-looking peppers?"

The Pikmin garbled as they scurried back behind Alph. "Those are Pikmin," Olimar said. "You can't eat them. They're our friends."

King Dedede bent over and smelt the Pikmin, the power of his sniff almost taking them up his beak. "Oh, I just have to bake them all in a pie. I propose this to you, visitors. Give me your exotic peppers, and I will let you stay here in Dream Land."

Alph gasped. Olimar stepped forward to argue, when a distant buzz distracted them all. Isabelle looked out at the horizon. "Oh no! They've followed us here."

"What?" Captain Falcon said. "But how?" A squeaking noise rang through the air. It seemed to be coming from the Blue Falcon. Something red glowed beneath the car. "What's this?" Captain Falcon reached under and pulled the thing off. "That damn Black Shadow. He must have fit a tracking device beneath my aircraft."

"Those red vehicles don't look too friendly," Kirby said.

"Black Shadow is dangerous. We need all the help we can get."

Kirby pulled out a sword. "I'm in." He looked at Meta Knight.

Meta Knight nodded. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

King Dedede stomped forward. "And my hammer!"

The fighters held their position, waiting for Black Shadow's army.


	13. Bowser's Airship 2

**Bowser's Airship 2**

Morton set the record on the turntable. Peach squirmed as Roy led her by the arm into the ballroom. "She's all yours, Bowser," Roy said, leaving them both alone.

Bowser beamed a grin at Peach. He was wearing his finest bowtie. "I knew I made the right choose picking the pink dress. It is your speciality." He touched her hand. She slapped him across the face. Bowser guffawed. "Don't struggle. Our dance is just getting started."

"Ahem."

Bowser growled. "What is it, son?"

"You have a visitor."

"Another visitor? How many visitors can we possibly get up here? You'll have to send them in. I'm busy."

Bowser Jr. called the creature in. Bowser grimaced. He recognised the wolf from when they had been setting up the plan to capture Peach. What was the wolf's name? That's right. The wolf's name was Wolf.

Bowser Jr. turned around. "No need for you to leave," Wolf said, his mouth filled with the leg of the poor creature he was eating. "This conversation concerns you."

Bowser kept Peach gripped in his claw as he talked. "Why are you back here?"

"Why thank you, Bowser, my trip up here was a pleasant one. Indeed, I am having a very good day."

Bowser grunted. "I'm too busy for this nonsense."

"Forgive me for my courtesy. I'll tell you why I am here. You know you haven't fulfilled your part of the deal with Master yet. I am here to make sure you pay your end of the bargain."

"Would you like to end up like that robot he sent here?"

"Ah, yes. I saw what you did to R.O.B.. Impressive work. I am afraid for you that I am a bit smarter than a brainless robot. You see, while you have been busy scarring this woman for life, I have rigged your entire ship with explosives. You have a choice, Bowser. Hand over what Master wants, or your whole ship goes boom."

"Don't do it, Dad," Bowser Jr. said. "He's bluffing."

"Oh, little one. You of all creatures must hope that is true."

"What is he talking about, Dad?"

Wolf smiled. "Yes, Dad, what am I talking about."

Bowser let go of Peach, looking down at the ground as he scratched his head. "The deal I made with the Master. He promised he would help me get Peach in return for… you."

Bowser Jr. gasped. "You couldn't have done."

Wolf pulled out a gun and held it to Bowser Jr.'s head. "You're coming with me." Bowser charged forward. "Take another step, and I'll turn him into a trophy before your eyes." Bowser stopped in place, quaking with anger. Wolf took Bowser Jr. as he led him out at gunpoint. "Sorry, Bowser," Wolf said. He belched, and a bit of green shell left his mouth. "I'm going to blow up your ship anyway." He threw a purple grenade and shoved Bowser Jr. on the ground. He zipped out of the ship, jumping overboard and into the spaceship that hovered in the sky. He flew away, the explosion sounding behind him as a great, purple bubble emerged the area Bowser's Airship had stood.


	14. Dream Land 2

**Dream Land 2**

Black Shadow and his army of Blood Falcons jumped out of their vehicles. "Fear not," King Dedede said. "I will save us all. Waddle-Dees. Attack!" The Waddle-Dees waddled very slowly forward. The Blood Falcons easily uppercut them into the sky.

Meta Knight jumped into the air. "Don't send an army of Waddle-Dees to do a knight's job." He dashed forward, drop kicking a Blood Falcon in the chest. He held up Galaxia and swiped frantically at all those around him. "Hiyiyiya!"

Kirby tapped Alph on the shoulder. "Sorry." He opened his mouth wide, sucking Alph inside his stomach before spitting back out. A light stuck out the top of Kirby's head while he had grown a bulbous nose. He jumped high, tossing Pikmin at the Blood Falcons from a safe distance. Bandana Dee charged forward, stabbing any Blood Falcon he could with his spear.

"Falcon," Black shadow shouted, shaking his fists. "You should teach your little pets to be more obedient." He threw a ball of electricity, which Captain Falcon ducked.

"Oh, they are obedient," Captain Falcon. "They obey my commands to beat you. Falcon punch!" Black Shadow jumped over him as he launched his attack.

Olimar and Alph commanded their Pikmin, having them bite the blood from the Falcon imposters as they clung to their skin. King Dedede threw Gordos at them, taking the wind out of their stomachs. Isabelle whimpered, slowly being closed in on by four Blood Falcons. "Oh, Villager? What do I do?"

"It's easy," Villager said, smiling as he shovelled three Blood Falcons beneath the dirt. "You just need to fight back."

"But I've never fought before."

Saliva dribbled down Villagers chin as he closed in face to face with a Blood Falcon. "You've never lived." He cracked the Blood Falcon atop the head with the spade. The Blood Falcon did not turn into a trophy but turned into wispy lines moving towards clouds as if he was a ghost called up to heaven.

Isabelle closed her eyes tight. "Alright, Isabelle. You know you can do this. You've just gotta…" She pulled out her fishing rod, catching a Blood Falcon on the end of it and spinning him around so he collided with all the other Blood Falcons. She looked at the ground, somehow summoning Lloid the gyroid who burst into the air like a rocket taking the Blood Falcon on the end of her fishing rod with it as he screamed _OOOOOOOOOOH_. She looked down at the three Blood Falcons in front of her and gave herself a pat on the back.

Black Shadow and Captain Falcon fought back and forth, exchanging kicks and punches. "What's your game, Black Shadow? Why are you following us?"

Black Shadow kicked Captain Falcon in the stomach, winding him and sending him crashing to the ground. He raised his arms, creating a huge ball of electricity above him. "You won't live long enough to find out." The blazing hammer whacked him across the face, smashing him deep into the woods. King Dedede laughed as the jet disappeared back into his hammer.

The Blood Falcons all turned into ghostly silhouettes that ascended into the sky. "The dark one must have had control over them," Meta-Knight said. He pulled in beside Captain Falcon. "You know, for a harmless looking crew, you sure do cause a lot of destruction."

Captain Falcon looked at Kirby eating a cake, and Bandana Dee giving King Dedede a back massage. "I could say the same about yours."

When Black Shadow was revived, he found himself tied to tree and his nemesis staring back at him. "Fool, Falcon. You think this rope will hold me." He struggled to no avail.

"Yes, I do actually," Captain Falcon said. "Villager here tells us all he has much practice tying inescapable knots. You're going nowhere, Black Shadow. Tell us, why are you following us."

"But I can't betray my master. He sees everything."

"He'll see you stuck here then, all by yourself, a failure." Captain Falcon and the others turned to walk.

"Alright," Black Shadow shouted. "I was sent by a pair of hands in Subspace. They sent us to empty all the lands of this world."

"For what reason?"

"For the clear out." Black Shadow laughed. "You may stop me, Falcon, but you'll never stop us. Even now, there are many lands falling at our hands. Soon, there will be nothing left." Captain Falcon falcon punched him from one-yard range, turning him into a trophy.

"Ooh, Subspace," Kirby said. "I love visiting new places."

King Dedede rubbed his belly. "I bet they have exquisite food up there."

"Subspace… does that name not ring a bell with anybody else?" Meta Knight said.

"Can't say I've ever heard it before," Isabelle said.

"What d'ya say, alienman?" Captain Falcon asked Olimar. "Ready for a ride to Subspace?"

"Actually, me and Alph better be getting back to Hocotate. The Pikmin grow restless from too much danger."

"Could you take us back home, on your way?" Isabelle said. "We have to know that our friends are alright now that they are rid of Black Shadow." Olimar nodded.

"Don't look so worried, race driver," King Dedede said. "We'll take the royal Halberd."

Meta Knight grunted. "You mean _my_ Halberd."

"Relax, Meta Knight. I will allow you to drive it."

"Who says I'm going with you?" He crossed his arms.

"But we have to go," Kirby said. "You heard what the man said. His master wants to clear out the world."

"Even so, somebody has to stay here and protect it." He sighed. "Reluctantly, I shall let you take the Halberd. So long as you're the one driving it, Captain."

Meta-Knight led them towards his grand battleship, while Olimar's space rocket rose into the sky. Kirby waved at Villager who stared from the rocket window.


	15. Donkey Kong Island

**Donkey Kong Island**

Daisy tried to calm Luigi as he paced back and forth inside the Odyssey. "What if-a my brother isn't with them? What if Bowser has done something to him?"

"Relax, Luigi. Your brother has gotten out of sticky situations before."

"Yoshi!" The dinosaur pointed out the window with his tail. The jungles below were blazing with fire.

"That is Donkey Kong Island," Luigi shouted. In the surrounding water was a giant fortress with a crocodile's head at the top, firing bombs at the island.

"We sent Rosalina there," Daisy said. "Cappy, take us down." They landed the Odyssey on the outskirts of the jungle. As they got out of the airship, they noticed two people locked inside cages hanging from two great trees. A yellow star whizzed around one of the cages. "That has to be Luma. Somebody must have caught Rosalina."

 _OOH-OOH-AH-AH!_ Diddy Kong burst out the trees, frantically bouncing as he waved at them.

"Moohv-Moohv-Ah-Ah!" Dixie Kong yelled from the treetops.

Donkey Kong swung down from the trees on a vine, grabbing Daisy and Luigi in his huge gorilla arms. Yoshi dashed after them, before a light beaming from the mouth of the crocodile at the top of the fortress shined on where they had just stood.

"Phew," Donkey Kong said. "That was a close one."

Cranky Kong hobbled out the trees on his cane. "Ay, back in my day we used to rely on light from the sun, none of these fancy crocodile heads."

"What has-a happened here?" Luigi said.

"King has returned," Donkey Kong said. "He pulled up on his fortress weeks ago and started setting the island on fire to chase everyone out into the open, so he can catch them. He stuck Rosalina and some other dude in a cage up in those big trees. Cranky thinks he's trying to lure us to try and rescue them, so they can trap us."

"What do you think he is trying to find?" Daisy said.

Donkey Kong shrugged. "Beats me. Diddy's found a hidden path that leads to Crocodile Isle. It's dangerous, but with your help, we should be able to get through it."

"What about Rosalina?"

"It's too dangerous," Cranky said. "King 's lights will be keeping a careful watch over them. We can rescue them after we have dealt with ."

Diddy and Dixie squawked away. "Ooh-ooh. It's coming back," Donkey Kong shouted as the light headed their way. They ran through the jungle and came to a wall of fire. The apes grabbed hold of vines and swung over the flame. Donkey Kong took Luigi in his hands as if he was carrying his lover, whilst Daisy got on Yoshi's back as he jumped over the fire. The light reached the fire and stopped. They each let out a sound of relief.

A siren sounded. _Ooh?_ Donkey Kong turned, his eyes popping out of their sockets. There was Waluigi, standing exposed under the beam of 's light.

"Oh no. Waht have I done?"

The sky cracked open, and a giant white hand came down and grabbed Waluigi. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Diddy Kong yelped, dashing forward and gripping Waluigi's legs as they lifted into the air.

"Diddy!" Donkey Kong yelled. He ran forward and grabbed Diddy's leg. Everyone else ran forward, jumping up to try and catch Donkey Kong's legs.

Rosalina watched the commotion from her cage. "Is that the ape you were telling me about?" Cloud in the cage beside her said.

Master Hand swiped down, taking Luigi, Daisy, Yoshi, Dixie and Cranky in his palm with the others. He bawled his fist until they stopped moving. He ripped a hole back open in the sky.

Somewhere in the pinnacle of Crocodile Isle, King received Master Hand's message. "He has been found—with added bonuses might I add. You may do it now."

King smiled. "Good." He pushed a button.

Rosalina and Cloud were helpless as the purple cannonball headed towards them. They did not stand a change as the entire island was soon submerged by a purple dome.


	16. Onett

**Onett**

Lucas had had the nightmare again. The Porky statue had bared down on him as he was stuck by his leg to a branch in the ground. He had woken up again, just as the bright light and a voice had whizzed across his line of sight.

Strange things had been happening lately. In those very silent moments of life, he swore he could hear somebody whispering in the back of his mind. That was not the only thing. Even now, as he stared across the kitchen table at his friend Ness, he wondered, why am I here, and when did I become friends with him?

"Alright," Ness said, as he finished his cereal. "I thought about it last night. Yes, I will teach you how to drive."

 _When did I ask him to teach me how to drive? Better yet…_ "You can drive?" Lucas said.

"Of course I can. I passed my test last week, remember?" Lucas did not. "I think you're right. I ought to teach you since I keep having to taxi you around everywhere. Plus, if you had your own car you'd be able to find a job, so you can contribute to this household."

"Wait, what?"

Ness got off his char and put his cap on. "We better go before the morning traffic gets busy. It'll be easier for you if we start while the roads are quiet."

Lucas got into the passenger seat of a car he did not know in a town he did not recognise. Why was he living here? It did not make any sense. Ness pulled in at the gas station and got out of the car. Was he even old enough to drive? Lucas sighed, gazing out of the car window.

An ugly engine blared as a motorbike pulled in to the gas station. A dastardly looking man with a yellow hat, big nose and a zig-zaggy moustache got off the vehicle. Lucas yelped. He had seen that man before—he was sure of it. He was taken from the present moment, to a vision where the man looked down on him with a dark cannon. The man fired an arrow-shaped beam at him. Lucas squeezed his eyes tight as the man's laughter rang around his head. "Focus, Lucas. Focus." He opened his eyes, back in the present moment as he watched the man drive off without paying for his gas. Lucas narrowed his eyes. He climbed over to the other side of the car and sped off after the man with the yellow hat.

Ness rushed out of the station as he watched Lucas speed off in his car, into the woods.


	17. The Town 4

**The Town 4**

The animals of the Town had soon gotten back on with ordinary life after Villager and Isabelle had revived them all. The latter sat at her desk, writing thank you letters for all the gifts she had received after her triumphant return. She was certainly glad to have all the chaos behind her—yet, part of her had loved the excitement of battle.

Pete the pelican visited her for the fourth time already this week, bearing even more cakes and presents. "There's even more where that came from," Pete said. He laughed. "The post office is full of gifts ready for you and Villager."

"That's very kind of everyone," Isabelle said. "I'll have to keep up with my thank you letters."

"Oh," Pete said. "I almost forget. Here's a letter." He waved and left.

Isabelle opened the envelope. She gasped. "Oh my…"

 _Dear Isabelle,_

 _I am writing to you, as I also have to Villager, to inform you how proud I am that you dealt with the bandits that threatened our town. Thanks to your bravery, the animals can now get back on with their peaceful lives. As such, I will personally be visiting the Town myself tonight to present you with a gift._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _The Mayor_

Isabelle got off her chair and rushed about the room. "Oh my, oh my, oh my. The mayor is visiting tonight. There's so much to do. I've got to let the town know. I've got to prepare food for him. I've got to make myself look presentable; I want to make a good impression for our first meeting. I've got to find Villager."

The Animals sat upon a long table stretching through the centre of main street, banners and decorations put up throughout the town. A great feast had been laid out for the Mayor's first ever visit to the Town. Tom Nook held a pile of paperwork in his hands, full of ideas to make money that he would give to the Mayor once he could grab a quiet word with him.

Excited chatter filled the air as the animals bickered between themselves. Isabelle obsessively studied the street, trying to spot anything that looked unclean or out of place. "Relax," Villager said. "Everything is fine."

"It has to be perfect," Isabelle said. "This needs to be a night the Mayor enjoys."

"Oh, I'm sure he will." A horse whinnied. The crowd grew silent at the new noise. "He's here." Isabelle rushed into place, standing at the front of the long table. A black horse with red eyes, clad in metal armour came around the corner. Sat upon it was a dark man clad in black. A jewel sat in the middle of his forehead, linked to his red hair.

Isabelle shook as she bowed. "Mayor, we're so glad that you could finally visit the Town. Please, sir, if you don't mind us asking, what is your real name?"

"Ganondorf."

"To Ganondorf," Villager said, raising a drink to the man. The animals nervously responded, shaking as they raised their own glasses.

"Tell us, Ganondorf," Isabelle said. "What do we owe the pleasure of this visit."

"I have a gift for you." Ganondorf said, smiling. He reached into his cape and pulled out a luminous sphere. "You deserve this."

As Ganondorf cracked open the smash ball and eradiated in fluorescent light, Villager's smile finally fell off his face. The animals did not have time to scream as the great, demonic beast Ganon slaughtered them all in a second. The Demon King slowly evolved back into Ganondorf. He smiled at the sea of trophies in front of him, not one survivor. He cast a calamitous purple glow, a living blight that surrounded the entire town. He rode away on his horse as the Town was enveloped by the growing purple dome and the evil spirit that dwelled inside.


	18. Hyrule

**Hyrule**

He woke up coughing, smoke fumes billowing around him. Lucas did not remember how, but he had crashed the car into a tree. It was a miracle he was not injured considering the car was almost ripped in two. But how broken really was he? It was the whisper inside his head growing louder that had awoken him. Now, he thought he could decipher what they were whispering. "Lucas… Lucas…" He looked around, expecting to find the source of the voice inside the forest.

"Lucas!" He jumped and held his hands up to attack. "Calm down," Ness said. "It's only me. What happened?"

Lucas scratched his head, climbing out of the car. "Did you see that man at the gas station? The one on the motorbike?"

"I saw the motorbike. I did not see the man driving it. Why do you ask?"

"Argh, it doesn't matter. Wait…" Images flashed inside Lucas' mind. "You've seen him before. Yes. He turned you into a trophy and laughed in your face."

"What are you talking about?"

"You must remember. You've seen him before!"

"I don't even know who he is. I told you, I didn't see the man driving the motorbike."

Lucas looked at the tyre marks spreading across the grass. "We've got to find him." He ran after the trail.

Ness dashed after him, shouting as he dodged through the trees. "Why is it so important that you find this man?"

"I can't explain," Lucas said. "There's just something in my gut that warns me about him. We should have never seen him in Onett." They burst out of the trees to a great, wide open field. There were no tyre marks to be seen. "This doesn't make sense. It's like he drove out of the forest and suddenly disappeared."

Ness gazed at the horizon, looking at huge hills, great mountains and giant volcanoes. "Which direction do you suggest we go?"

"You don't want to go back to Onett?"

Ness shrugged. "We've come so far. We might as well find the man we came to look for." They set off in a random direction, trekking across the field.

The heavens soon opened, and the rain lashed down. Lucas huddled himself whilst Ness fought the wind to keep his hat on his head. Lucas whimpered as a fork of lightning pierced the ground mere yards from them. "We've got to find shelter from this storm," Ness said.

A noise bleeped in Lucas' head. There was something out there, something beckoning him towards it. "This way." Ness tried to ask questions as he followed, but Lucas only focused on the bleep in his head growing louder and quicker. He ran over a ridge, coming to the shrine lit by orange light. "In here." The shrine light turned blue and the door opened for them as they approached. Lucas jumped once more as the ground lowered beneath them, taking them into the pit of the shrine.

They entered an area that was like the underground of a lost temple that had been crafted by beings of another world. Lucas could not help but be transfixed by the blue torchlight radiating through the shine.

A thin voice echoed through the room. "To you who sets foot in this shrine… I am…"

Violent blue lights flashed before Lucas' eyes. Brief flashes of the body of some fearful blue deity throwing bodies through the air. The blue flashed across so quickly it was like some blur he could not truly comprehend was attacking creatures he could also note make out. "Lucas… Lucas…"

"Lucas!" Ness put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "A little help?" He gestured to the deep water in front of them, whilst the magnet forcefield he had created around himself kept a leaver pulled open. What the lever kept open Lucas did not know, since he had briefly been taken somewhere else by the flashes of blue light.

"PK Freeze!" He shot crystallised snowflakes at the water, freezing it into a road of ice. Ness kept the magnetic forcefield around himself as they walked across the ice. As they moved off the frozen road, his magnetic power on the leaver failed, and a door slammed down behind them. They were stuck in a room at the bottom of a set of steps that led up to an ancient being sat cross-legged and closed eyed surrounded by a holographic square of blue light. The blue light transfixed Lucas once more as they walked forward. So familiar. So eerily familiar. He reached out and touched the hieroglyph in the centre of the holographic square.

A blue face with hollow eyes stared back at him. "I see you. I found you before all the others. Thanks to you, I remembered who I am. Soon, you will all be mine."

"Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!" Ness shook his unconscious friend whose eyes had glazed over with blue light. Had that weird spirit mummy of the shrine affected him when they had given him an orb? Or was it when it had transported them out of the shrine and back at onto the field? The rain had stopped as the sky grew darker. Ness placed Lucas on his shoulders, struggling as he carried him across the unknown landscape.

The ground bounced as two riders on horses rode towards him. "You were right, Link," the woman of the two said. "There are lost wanderers amongst Hyrule."

Link studied Lucas. "Yes," he said. "As I suspected."

"Who are you? Have you been watching us?" Ness asked.

"I am Princess Zelda, and this Link. These fields are not places for boys to be wandering, especially at this time of night."

"I'm not like most boys."

"We already know that," Link said. "I can see that from your friend."

"You know what is wrong with him?"

"Link has the same curse as your friend," Zelda said. "I know because I have seen the same blue lights in his eyes. Terrifying visions have corrupted his Sheikah Slate."

"Your friend must have succumbed to the deity responsible for these nightmares," Link said. "So far, I have been able to resist him, but I fear he will be back stronger, especially since he now has the soul of your friend. That is why he is not yet a trophy. He needs him alive, so he may harness his energy."

"Who do you speak of?" Ness asked. "And why does he need to harness energy?"

"My memories are not complete. I cannot say for sure who the deity is. Come to think of it, I am not completely convinced the images I see ever really happen. I see the blue being slaughtering many of us. Your presence here cannot be a coincidence. Perhaps you both were once slaughtered by him."

"If that were true, why do I not remember it?"

"I too remember none of it," Zelda said. "But I trust the mind of Link. Seems like for some reason our memories were wiped."

"If only I could find a location where we encountered the blue deity," Link said. "That would jog my memory for good. You and your friend should come with us. It is his best hope of revival." Link looked out on the distance. "It is our best hope of finding _him_."

Link rode with Ness on his horse, while Zelda took Lucas with her.


	19. Hocotate 2

**Hocotate 2**

The horse sniffed out the trophy glinting in the barren ground. Ganondorf clutched R.O.B. by his neck as he revived him. R.O.B. whizzed his arms around in defence, but Ganondorf's grasp was too strong. He pushed a button on the robot. "The Town has been dealt with."

"Wonderful!" the voice on the other side said. "You should take R.O.B. with you. You will need my instruction once you conquer the other two lands."

Ganondorf choked the life out of R.O.B. turning him back into a trophy. He tied him to the back off his horse, dragging his cold robotic body across the desert as they galloped on.

The rusty shipyard he had been told to deal with already looked like it had been on the losing side of an attack.

Olimar was helping Alph build his new rocket ship when they saw the rider in black approaching. The Pikmin shook, squeaking as Ganondorf got off his horse. Olimar and Alph both blew their whistles, and the Pikmin took up a defensive formation in front of them.

"Why so cautious?" Ganondorf said.

"I trust my Pikmin," Olimar said. "They act like this when they sense danger."

"Hmm." Ganondorf nodded. "They are right." He reached out his hands, sending Olimar and Alph through the air using an invisible force of power that stuck them to the walls. They watched, helpless, as calculatedly he stood on the Pikmin one by one. He laughed maniacally as Olimar and Alph screamed, as the ghosts of the dead Pikmin rose into the sky.

Ganondorf looked up at the two captains weeping for their falling companions. He smashed Alph with his sword, cracking open his space helmet. He slowly walked to Olimar as Alph gasped for breath. It was like he was waiting for Alph to turn into a trophy, so Olimar had to watch him suffer until his last moment. Finally, when Alph was a trophy, he cracked Olimar across the helmet with his sword. As Olimar dropped to the ground clawing for breath, Ganondorf summoned the purple calamity. He took his place back on his horse, watching as Hocotate met the same fate as the Town.


	20. Hyrule 2

**Hyrule 2**

A group of warriors were sat around a fire in front of a horse and jail wagon. Link held his hand up, and he and Zelda stopped their horses. They listened to the sound of foreign tongues come from the swordsmen at the bottom of the hill. Zelda looked at Link. He shrugged. "I do not recognise their language. They may be members of the Yiga Clan. Be careful." The warriors at the bottom of the hill looked up as they watched the horses trot towards them. "Why do you camp out here in the middle of nowhere?" Link shouted. The warrior who wore a tiara in his blue hair uttered something in the language Link could not understand. "What did you say?"

"Forgive Marth," the one with blue hair and a headband said. "He told you to mind your own business."

"Why so defensive? Are you hiding something?"

"We don't have to tell you anything," Ike said.

"Link," Zelda said. "Look." She pointed at the jail wagon where they could see a girl with purple hair huddled up inside.

Link pulled out his blade. The Fire Emblem warriors all pulled out their blades. Ness and Zelda both forged elements in their hands. "Well, you're not Yiga," Link said. "You would have revealed your true form by now."

The warrior with the red hair asked for confirmation on what Link said. "I don't know, Roy," Corrin said. "I don't know what Yiga means either."

"Who are you, and why have you kidnapped a little girl?" Link demanded.

"Kidnapped?" Lucina said. "We've taken her prisoner for destroying our land. You should be thanking us that she has not done the same to your beloved fields."

"What are you talking about?"

"A purple dome swept through the sky and submerged our land," Robin said. "We had no idea what the source of the power was, until we found this girl spraying the purple stuff everywhere. We took her weapon if you don't believe us."

"I didn't destroy anybody's land!" the Inkling cried from inside the wagon. "Please, you have to help me."

"What say you, Link?" Zelda asked.

Link dismounted his horse. "May I see the weapon you speak of?" Ike gave him a gun, and he turned away and aimed it at the distant horizon. Purple ink flew out of the barrel and painted the grass.

"That doesn't seem harmful," Zelda said.

Link closed his eyes, trying to remember. "I don't know," he said. "I can see the purple dome they speak of. Whether it was caused by this gun or not I cannot be certain." He opened his eyes. "Best to keep her locked up as a precaution."

The Inkling whaled in the background. "Never mind you pointing your finger at us. What about you?" Lucina said, pointing at Zelda. "Why do you travel around carrying an unconscious boy with blazing eyes?"

"My friend is sick," Ness said.

"Is that true, boy, or do you lie because you fear these people who keep you against your will?"

"You've got it all wrong. They are trying to help me. Me and Lucas stumbled across a shrine. The next thing I knew, his eyes were glazed over with the blue lights you see now."

"A force possesses the boy," Link said. "A powerful deity that I fear may be behind the reason your land was taken from you." He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two male warriors with blue hair. "Come to think of it… yes, I have a memory of you both." Ike translated what Link said to Marth. "Yes, I see a brief vision of us surrounded by shadow bugs… no—no, we were fighting an army of robots… an army of Primids."

Marth asked for confirmation on what Link said. "I don't know, Marth," Ike said. "I don't know what Primids are either."

"You have to trust Link's words," Zelda said. "He has special memories."

Lucina huffed. "I have special memories of my father, but you don't see me dwelling on it." Several warriors coughed in the background.

"Listen," Link said. He stumbled as his head began to shake.

"Are you alright, Link?"

He panted for breath. "I'm fine. I just… I just need you to…"

 _LISTEN!_


	21. Lost Woods

**Lost Woods**

 _DOO-DA-DOO, DOO-DA-DOO, DOO-DA-DOO-DA-DOO-DOO, DA-DOO-DA-DOO._

Link was young again! Well, he was a Link that was young again, yet he was not the young version of himself. He did not have the memories of the boy whose body he was inside, yet he felt an air of familiarity around him. That song that called throughout the woods. The fairy yammering above his head. "Hey listen!" What was her name? Navi? "Hey listen!"

Four tunnels made of fallen trees surrounded the wood. He listened to the song and ran down the tunnel where the song was loudest, coming to an identical area, where he again ran down the tunnel the music came from. Finally, he came to area where he found the source of the catchy music. Navy disappeared. A familiar figure stood on a tree stump playing a flute. Skull Kid. He put down his instrument and giggled. "This all seems familiar to you, but you don't remember this happening."

"Why am I here?" Link said.

"You're here because you go getting lost in woods you have no business entering in the first place. Like the woods of your mind. You should have never wandered down them." Skull Kid giggled.

Link gasped as terrible visions flashed across his eyes, visions all containing himself from memories he could not remember. Visions of himself falling from the sky, visions of himself as a wolf, countless visions of a terrifying pig monster, and one chilling image of a dark man spreading darkness across the whole of Hyrule.

"Do you remember now?" Skull Kid said. "You don't know the true power of your Sheikah Slate do you? You are ageless, Link. You have lived through torments so bad no man could survive them without coming out of the end of them insane. Your Sheikah Slate stores up all your awful memories and takes them away from you. But in this time of corruption, your Sheikah Slate is failing, and you, yourself, are slowly trying to reclaim your memories. If your mind keeps fighting, you are going to uncover something that nobody else in the world can remember. This is my personal warning to you." Skull Kid's eyes flashed blue—the same colour that glazed Lucas' eyes. His mischievous voice became distorted, as if there was something inside possessing him. "Forget all that you are trying to remember and give up this foolish quest, else you will uncover something that will corrupt your mind permanently. And just so you know what it's like to have a mind that is on fire…"

Skull Kid put on a mask. The dark tree leaves above rumbled. The angry moon burst through and sped towards the ground. As Skull Kid giggled, a voice whispered inside Young Link's head. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"


	22. Dracula's Castle

**Dracula's Castle**

Link twisted his head, uneased by the zig-zagging road they walked upon and the huge drop beside them into an empty chasm. An enormous, dark castle cast a haunting presence over them. "Thank Hylia," Zelda said. "You're back. I thought you had been taken by the deity you speak of."

"Great," Lucina said. "Since you're awake you can put yourself to use. Roy needs a break from pulling the wagon."

Link looked back to see three of the Fire Emblem warriors pulling the wagon up the winding path. "What happened to the horses?"

"While you were busy sleeping we were attacked by a deranged, flying monster."

"We had no choice but to venture up this dark road," Zelda said. "It was the only way we could get away from that flying reptile. Have we chosen a bad path?"

Link closed his eyes, trying to think. "Perhaps not. Going through here should take us to where we need to be." He looked up at the ghastly structure. "Although I'm not sure this place is safe."

The door creaked as Ness, carrying Lucas on his back, pulled it open. A colony of bats sped out over their heads. The medieval hallway inside was faintly lit by candlelight. Death appeared from out the shadows and swiped with his scythe. Robin and Corrin bounced off the ground as a trophies. Several warriors yelled. Everybody dashed forward, leaving behind the prison wagon. Death turned his bony face to the Inkling still locked inside the wagon. "No!" The Inkling got down on her knees and begged. "Please. I didn't mean to come here. I was brought here against my—"

Death slashed through the bars of the wagon, taking her soul and turning her into a trophy. The others came to a dead end at a door they could not open. They could do nothing but watch as Death slowly creeped towards them. A spiked ball smashed Death across the face. A man with long blonde hair stood behind Death, a metal whip in his hands. Simon. Another man appeared beside him. "Be gone!" Richter Belmont shouted. "You don't belong in this world, monster!" He reached out his own metal whip and took Death's head off.

"Thank you, strangers," Ike said. Marth and Roy bowed. "We should revive our friends."

"There is no hope in that," Simon said. "They have been slaughtered by Death. Their spirits are no longer in their trophies. They have been taken to another place."

"You mean, they are stuck like that for good?"

"Until somebody finds their spirits, yes."

"You folks should not have ventured here so unprepared," Richter said. "Your lack of wit will see you all doomed to eternal damnation."

Zelda looked at Link as Lucina argued against the vampire killers. "Link," she whispered. Link was in a daze, hypnotised on nothing particular. "Link." She pinched him on the back of the arm, snapping him out of his trance.

"Step aside," Simon said, walking towards the door. He placed a key inside it, making it cry as he forced it open.

There, at the end of the dark corridor, Dracula sat upon his throne eradiated in candle light. "And you wonder why I hate people," he said. "You can never leave me in peace, can you?"

"Don't talk of peace," Richter said. "We've seen what is happening to the world. No doubt it is you who has sent those purple waves through our lands."

Ike's ears pricked up. "It was him?" He unleashed his sword.

Dracula grunted, rising to his feet. He towered over all those standing in front of him. "You people have the nerve to enter my castle and point your weapons at me? Perhaps I should give you a real reason to fear me." Dracula raised his arms. A violet light whirled in the air, slowly becoming a haunting clone of the Inkling who had been touched by Death. Dracula smiled. "She familiar to you?" Another two violet lights whirled in the air, becoming Robin and Corrin. "Look what happened to your beloved friends. I have their spirits now. They will do as I command." He raised his arms again and an entire army of corrupted souls appeared. False versions of Shulk, Isaac, Geno, Banjo and Kazooie came forth from Dracula's demonic magic. "A little birdy told me you would soon be arriving at my castle. I went to the trouble of preparing a very special spirit for you." He raised his arms once more. Out of the purple light, Chrom appeared.

"Father!" Lucina yelled. She dashed forward.

"Lucina, no!" Ike yelled.

She held her arms out to Chrom. "What have they done to you, father?" Chrom drew his blade and struck his daughter in the heart. She dropped as a trophy. Dracula grinned. He held up his arms and Lucina reappeared as an evil spirit.

The living Fire Emblem warriors and the vampire hunters unleashed their attacks on the army of corrupted spirits. Ness radiated PK fire from where he stood, avoiding getting too close to the enemies so they could not take Lucas from him. Zelda transformed into Sheik. As she pulled out a bust grenade, she spotted Link gazing at nothing.

Link stared at the wall. It was like the wall was thumping in and out, something behind it pumping the magic through the entire castle. It was like something was behind it, calling to him. _Come to me, Link. This is the only way to find yourself again._

Sheik crashed into him, saving him before Shulk's Monado collided with him. Her grenade slipped out of her hands, blowing a hole into the wall Link had been staring at. Haunting spirits spread forth from the other side of the hole, the likes of King Boo, Gengar, and Dead Hand. Sheik ducked and dived as the spirits whizzed around her head. Ness aimed PK thunder at them, the light causing them to flee.

Simon and Richter battled back and forth with Dracula. The three Fire Emblem swordsmen, Ike, Roy and Marth, stood close in a triangle as they fought the corrupted army surrounding them. They cut through the likes of Vaati, Knuckles, Bomberman and an enraged Nintendo Dog. They struggled to stay relevant in the battle as a sea of Fire Emblem warriors long since fallen closed in on them.

As Sheik rolled out of the way of a flying projectile, she looked through the hole she had blown in the castle wall. Ghosts floated above Link's head, who was slowly walking along a dark bridge over a deep void…

A voice called from beneath the ocean. "Come back to me, Link. Come back to Hyrule." Link caught his cartoon reflection in the waves. He jumped over the King of Red Lion's and dropped into the depths of the Great Sea where no sunlight reached. A dazzling blue light enticed him further down. "Come to me, Link. Link. Link. Link…"

"Link!" Sheik yelled. A huge mass of black vermin rose from the void. She grabbed Link with her chain and pushed him as the Master Fortress burst through the bridge. She stumbled, falling with the bridge into the empty blackness the Master Fortress had reared its ugly head from. Link tried to catch her with a hookshot, but he could not reach. "Zelda!"

The horrid Master Fortress buzzed in his face. He looked beyond it, at all those who had been corrupted. The Fire Emblem warriors, one of the vampire killers, Ness. Plasma Wisps spread forth from the Master Fortress coming towards Link. Simon took them down with his foot, jumping across them as if they were stepping stones. He repeatedly threw his cross at the Mater Fortress, sending it up in wave after wave of fire. He threw the smallest vial of holy water over the monstrosity. The Master Fortress shrieked as it sunk. It whipped out a ghastly hand and grabbed Simon by the leg. Link was stunned in place as he watched the vampire hunter cling to the edge of the cliff. "Run, you fool."

The Master Fortress shrieked once more, pulling Simon down into the depths of its void. The corrupted army slowly made its way across a road of vermin left behind by the Master Fortress. Link turned and ran towards the light.


	23. Dream Land 3

**Dream Land 3**

Meta-Knight was sleeping inside his wings when he was awoken with a thud. He murmured to himself as he slowly got to his feet, looking at the shaking tree whence he had fallen. Alarm bells rang in his head as Waddle Dees sped across the air. He spread his wings and whizzed through the trees, coming to the man in black warlock punching the Waddle Dees around him into oblivion. Meta-Knight charged at him, pulling out Galaxia. "Hiyiyiya!"

Ganondorf pulled out his sword but was too slow to block any of Meta-Knight's swipes that hit him. He swung out his leg, kicking Meta-Knight head first into a tree. Meta-Knight grunted, quickly getting back to his feet as Ganondorf slowly walked towards him. Meta-Knight jumped, rapidly spinning his sword around and hitting Ganondorf with a drill rush. He flew out the way as Ganondorf swung his sword, spinning himself around and hitting him with a mach tornado. Ganondorf reached out a hand of purple flames, but Meta-Knight quickly flapped his cape and disappeared into thin air. He appeared behind Ganondorf, hitting him with another flurry of sword strikes. "Hiyiyiya!"

Ganondorf kicked his leg out behind him but connected with nothing. "Grrr!" He looked around, trying to find the knight of rapid speed. He looked to the open land where his sword stood. He charged up his warlock punch—and turned around. He caught the unsuspecting Meta-Knight square in the face, sending him crashing into a tree with so much force that it broke from its roots and collapsed on top of him. The Meta-Knight trophy rolled along the ground, coming to Ganondorf's feet. He smiled as he stopped it with his foot. He looked out at all the trembling Waddle Dees peaking through the trees and smirked. He raised his arms, and like the Town and Hocotate before it, Dream Land suffered the nightmare of Calamity Gannon.

He strolled back to his horse as the land behind him was sucked in by the purple dome. He grabbed the trophy of R.O.B., reviving him as he held him by the throat. "Dream Land is dead."

"Wonderful!" the voice on the other end shouted. "You're work on foot is done. It is time for you to take to the skies. Travel to the Mushroom Kingdom. There will be something waiting to lead you to the clouds."

"You mean a machine?"

"Yes…I guess you could call it a machine." The voice cut off. Ganondorf mounted his horse, launching R.O.B. over his head into the purple dome behind him.


	24. Lumiose City

**Lumiose City**

Street light cast a beautiful glow over Lumiose City in the night sky, and the majestic Prism Tower stood at the centre of it all. Not only did the Pokémon appreciate the sights of the city, which had once been heavily populated by humans before King Mewtwo's reign, but they loved the sound of the Jigglypuff busking on the sound of the street. "Jiggerlee-puff, Jigger-lee-ah-ee-ee." Then the sound of a buzzing motorbike ruined everything, as Wario sped along and grabbed the bowl Jigglypuff had been collecting all her coins in. "Jigglypuff!"

"Wah-ha-ha!" He sped away from the creature. He drove around the city, looking for entertainment.

 _TONIGHT'S MAIN EVENT: THE HUMAN CHAMPION VS THE NEWEST POKÉMON SUPERSTAR._

The Billboard certainly made the event sound exciting. Wario parked his bike and used the money he had robbed from Jigglypuff to buy a ticket and enter the stadium. The Lumiose Conference had been revamped since King Mewtwo's reign began into an all-singing all-dancing stadium with packed seats and wild fanfare. The king himself stood on a balcony sticking out at the centre of the north stand, looking down on the arena like some tyrannical emperor.

Wario stole a bag of popcorn from a sleeping Snorlax and took it with him to his stand. He mixed his own cloves of garlic into the popcorn to give it that extra flavour. Down below, Ken had just finished dispatching Decidueye, much to Mewtwo's disappointment. Mewtwo's personal Pokémon collector, Greninja, threw a Poké Ball and scooped Decidueye back into its confinement.

As soon as Ken was off, the next contestant was led out. Little Mac rushed along, hovered over by Bee Drills that would sting him if he tried to retreat. Wario bellowed as Little Mac flinched at the Bee Drill that nearly poked him in the face. Wario's laughter drew the stares of all those around. He did not yet know, but he was the only human spectator in the crowd.

Greninja threw a Poké Ball and unleashed Pikachu onto the arena. Pikachu stared across at the man he had been forced to electricity for the last month. Little Mac had been an arrogant young man full of life when he had first seen him. Now, he was a trembling mess tortured to submission. The man looked shell-shocked as he beheld all the Pokémon jeering him. Pikachu turned and shook his head at Greninja. "Pika." The crowd booed.

A demanding call came from the stands that silenced all. "Would you like me to remind you what I am going to do if you refuse to battle?" Mewtwo said.

Pikachu shook his head. "Pika. Pika!"

Mewtwo looked behind him and beckoned someone over with his hand. Pikachu's eyes widened. Mewtwo held Ash in the air, choking him through his psychic powers. "Kill that man," Mewtwo said, pointing at Little Mac. "Or I will kill yours."

Electric tears trickled down Pikachu's cheeks. He turned and faced the shaking boxer. Little Mac's arms looked weak as he put them up, his knees were feeble and already looked like they may collapse. Anger brewed inside Pikachu at what this great world had become. He unleashed one huge wave of thunder from the sky, scoring Little Mac with an almighty crack of lightning. The boxer screamed as he was burnt to a crisp, before he collapsed into a trophy. The roaring crowd drowned out the sound of Pikachu's tears. Before he could turn to see if his trainer was alright, Greninja had already summoned him back into his Poké Ball.

"It is now time for your main event," Mewtwo shouted. "Introducing to you, the reigning human champion, the leader of all those who formerly enslaved us, Ryu!" The Pokémon booed as the hardened fighter made his way out onto the arena, undeterred by the Bee Drills buzzing around his head. "And his opponent, our newest superstar, I give to you, Incineroar!" The crowd reached fever pitch as Greninja unleashed the fiery feline onto the arena.

Wario was standing on his feet, making as much noise as anyone as the garlic he had eaten caused him to fart all over those sitting behind him. A hard hand touched his shoulder. A Machamp wearing a security shirt grabbed him in its four hands and dragged him from his seat. Wario wahed as the Pokémon tossed him out of the stadium doors and onto the streets.

Back in the stadium, Ryu did not flinch as he stared across at the roaring, devilish creature. Incineroar roared, dashing across the arena and scratching Ryu in the side. Ryu grimaced as his shirt ripped, blood pouring out of his wound. Fire grew in Incineroar's eyes as the scent of blood entered his nose. Ryu yelled something indecipherable as he jumped and knocked Icineroar back with a hurricane kick. He spread a fireball he knew would have little effect on the fiery Pokémon, but he used it to blind the creature from the combo of kicks and punches he unleashed on it. He hit Incineroar with a Shoryuken, blasting the creature into the sky. Incineroar smacked his head on the ground. He jumped back to his feet, roaring as he unleashed flamethrower from his belt. Ryu screamed as the fire devoured his flesh, ripping the skin from his body.

Lucario smashed through the roof of the stadium on a falling Gyarados already shooting hydro pump out of his mouth. Ryu gasped for breath as the fire went out, half screaming as he held is burnt face. If the mighty fall the Gyarados took did not kill it, the flamethrower Incineroar threw at it did. He turned his aim to Lucario as Greninja pulled in beside him.

"Wait!" Mewtwo yelled. Reluctantly, Incineroar stood down. "What is the meaning of this spectacle?"

"I came here to stop you," Lucario said. "I know the truth. You didn't wage war on humans to give Pokémon freedom. You did it so you could have free reign on this city, because you plan on destroying it. I've uncovered who you work with, Mewtwo. You are part of a group trying to corrupt the world."

"I've had enough of your foolish words," Mewtwo said. "Kill him!" Incineroar, Greninja, and an entire range of other Pokémon bore down on Lucario. Lucario pulled out the Smash Ball he had saved and cracked it in his hands. He hovered in the centre of the stadium, unleashing a blazing aura storm over Mewtwo's army, instantly defeating them.

Mewtwo yelled. He stretched across the air and dove into Lucario as his final smash wore off. They both ascended out of the hole in the top of the stadium. Down below, Pokémon started a mass riot, those who believed in Lucario's words fighting those who thought he was speaking treason of King Mewtwo.

"Hey! Ryu!" Ryu staggered to his feet at the sound of his name being called. "Ryu!" Ash stood on the balcony, yelling at him. "Please. Take that Poké Ball." He pointed at one of the ones Greninja had been keeping in his collection. "My Pikachu is inside. He is a good Pokémon and will help protect you. Mewtwo has infected me with a deadly poison. Pikachu cannot help me anymore, but he will be of aid to you. There is a maze beneath this city. Go there, and you may run from the cruelty of this city. Go, and let the world know what has happened here!" Ryu took the Poké Ball, running out of the arena before any Pokémon began to eye him up.

Meanwhile, Wario had travelled to the shady outskirts of the city where humans still dwelled in disguises. Somehow, he had convinced Machamp that he was a flatulent type Pokémon called Wahbuffet and had escaped being thrown in jail. Now, he was indulging himself in the pleasure of a lap dance from one of the promiscuous girls who worked in the secret bar he had stumbled across. He _wahed_ with great excitement as the girl moved over his hips. "Put the garlic in your mouth," he said, trying to shove a clove in her lips.

"Hey! You're not allowed to touch me!"

"Come on, bah-bee. Put the garlic in your mouth and give Wario a kiss."

A woman tapped the dancer on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Misty. I'll take it from here." Wario's jaw dropped as he gazed at the tall woman clad in leather. He was speechless, saliva dripping down his chin as Bayonetta leaned over him. Then she held Love is Blue in his mouth. "You stole money from my friend," she said. "Give it back or I'll blow your brains out." Wario nodded. He reached up to his cap and showed all the coins hiding beneath it. Bayonetta smiled as she took them from him. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" She pulled the gun out his mouth. "Now, how about I give you a dance?" Wario nodded with excitement. "Alright." She moved her hip and smacked him across the room with her backside.

She went back out to the streets, not making any effort to not be seen by the Pokémon. She looked down at Jigglypuff and gave her her coins back. Above the centre of the city, a purple ball kept growing and shrinking. "Come on," Bayonetta said. "Let's leave this place."

"Jigglypuff."

Bayonetta pulled open a manhole and led them down beneath the city.

Lucario and Mewtwo grappled in the sky. Lucario kept throwing his hands over the purple ball Mewtwo was trying to grow, yelling out in pain every time he did so. "You cannot fight this," Mewtwo said. "You must give up. It is already over for you."

Lucario put his hands over the purple ball, veins strangling his face as he staggered his words. "Why… why are you doing this?"

"This will be our world soon."

"Pokémon?"

"No. You aren't part of our new world."

"This is madness. You will kill yourself doing this."

"It is worth it for the greater good." Mewtwo kicked Lucario in the stomach. Weak, he dropped into the sky. The ball expanded from Mewtwo's hands, creating the purple dome that enveloped the city.


	25. Pac-Man's Maze

**Pac-Man's Maze**

Snake did not know how he had ended up in this dark maze surrounded by neon blue light. He shouted down his codec to the Colonel. "We don't know how you got there, Snake," the Colonel said. "You were offline for some time. We have no information on where you have been the last twenty-four hours."

Snaked grunted. "It's good of you to finally join me. This place is like purgatory. Seems like I keep walking down the same pathways." He heard heckling down the pathway. Ugh. That's all I need."

"What is it, Snake?"

"This damn dog keeps popping out the walls and mocking me. I'll show that mutt." He unpinned a hand grenade and chucked it at the Duck Hunt Duo. The explosion and the smoke disappeared, but the dog was still there pointing at him, laughing. "Argh! You've gotta be kidding me. That dog can't be there. I must have been spiked."

"We're trying to triangulate your location, Snake. As soon as we do, we shall send you a map. In the meantime, it's best you keep moving."

Snake moved towards the direction the Duck Hunt Duo had now disappeared from. He turned a corner and...

"You have got to be kidding me."

"What is it, Snake?"

"There is a two-dimensional man with no face flipping sausages inside a frying pan. That explains it. I must have been poisoned."

"We've run tests on your bloodstream, Snake. There is nothing unusual inside your body. There really is a man with no face in front of you flipping sausages. His name is Mr. Game and Watch. Be careful. We are unable to analyse this man's motives." Mr. Game and Watch started ringing a bell.

"I think I can tell you, Colonel. This guy is completely nuts." A force struck Snake in the back, throwing him to the ground.

"Oops. Sorry." The man clad in futuristic blue armour lowered his arm to the ground.

Snake grunted. "Are you trying to help me up, or are you pointing a gun at me?"

"Woops." The man held out the hand his Mega Buster was not on. "I'm Mega Man."

"Snake." He let Mega Man help him up. "Is it just me, or can you see a man ringing a bell beside me?"

"I see him."

"Good. I thought I was going mad."

"You will do if you stay in this place too long. I can tell you haven't been here long. You wouldn't make so many explosions if you knew the creature that dwelled here."

"You'd make more explosions if you were being followed around by an annoying dog."

"There's worse things to worry about in here. We dwell in a maze of a hungry, yellow creature who will devour everything that comes into his path. I have seen him eat countless ghosts. He will not hesitate to eat anything. We have to get out of here before he picks up our scent."

"My team is working on a map of the place," Snake said. "Once they have all the data, they should be able to point us to an exit."

"That's good," Mega Man said. "For now, we should keep moving and pray we don't bump into the merciless carnivore."

Mr. Game and Watch followed them. "I guess he's coming too," Snake said.

* * *

Ryu had let Pikachu out of the Poké Ball and was letting him lead the way through the maze much to Ken's annoyance. "Why are we following that thing? Did you see what this freak did to that boxer? We should not even be showing him mercy, never mind letting him guide us."

Ryu did not look at Ken. "His owner had great faith in him. He said he was a good Pokémon."

"A Pokémon?" Ryu whined in Ken's ear. "So you're calling them more than just freaks now?"

"We've befriended strange ones before."

"Not ones that threatened to enslave our entire race. You know what this thing did to Little Mac, and I don't just mean during the battle. He tortured him for weeks."

Ryu looked down as Pikachu rubbed his head on his leg. "Pika." Ryu did not crack a smile. He rubbed his chin, thinking.

"Alright," Ken said. "Perhaps he's not evil."

"We follow my lead," Ryu said, turning back down the way they came.

"What? I admit he's not evil, and now you change your mind?"

"I never said he was evil. I choose to lead because of his softness. He does not have the aptitude to lead us."

"Really? After you put so much trust in his nose?"

Pikachu pointed back in the other direction. "Pika! Pika!"

"This way," Ryu ordered. "We will not travel down a blind path."

"Oh, and you know the way to go?" Ken said.

Ryu stopped to think.

* * *

The Colonel had put Snake's map online. "At least now we should have an idea where to go," Snake said. "Sheesh. This place is a muddle." Mr. Game and Watch made some kind of digital sounding protest. "I can't understand you, pal."

"Watch out!" Mega Man yelled. The sound of a roaring engine came closer and closer. Snake took out his Nikita launcher and prepared to launch a missile. Too late. The yellow one was on top of them. The trio dived out of the way as Wario whizzed passed them, laughing.

"What a jerk," Snake said, turning his weapon around.

"Let him go," Mega Man said. "He is not the yellow creature we need worry about."

Snake screwed up his face. "Good grief, that guy stinks. I can still smell his odour." Mr. Game and Watch resumed flipping sausages. Snake shook his head. "I don't care what you say, Colonel. I don't believe this is happening."

* * *

 _Waka Waka Waka Waka._

"What is that racket?" Ken asked. Ryu narrowed his eyes staring down the tunnel as the noise loudened.

Pikachu pointed in the other direction. "Pika! Pika!"

"We do not run from a fight," Ryu said.

The yellow ball came around the corner. Pac-Man's eyes lit up as he saw the bodies. _Waka Waka Waka Waka_.

Ryu gritted his teeth and put up his fists. "Alright, Pikachu. It's time for you to show why your master had so much faith in you."

"Um, Ryu," Ken said. "I don't think he's going to be showing you anything."

"Huh?"

Pikachu had run off in the other direction. As he turned the corner, he heard the tragic scream of the fighters he had walked beside. He knew Pac-Man was not something to fight. He ate you, and that was simply that. _Waka Waka Waka Waka_ loudened. Pikachu froze in fear. If Pac-Man saw him, he would hunt him down and he would devour him. He was the rodent trapped in his carnivores' maze.

A hand grabbed him and pulled him around the corner. Bayonetta held a hand over his mouth and held a finger to her lips. "Shush." She peeked back down the tunnel, seeing Pac-Man coming towards them. "He's following us. Jigglypuff. Put him to bed."

Jigglypuff cleared her throat and sang her ballad. "Jiggerlee-puff, Jigger-lee-ah-ee-ee."

 _Waka Waka Waka… Wakaaaaa…Wak…._

Pac-Man started snoring. Bayonetta smiled at Pikachu. "Come on, little guy. Stay with me."

* * *

"You're getting close, Snake," the Colonel said.

"Thank the Lord," Snake said. Mr. Game & Watch was juggling beside him. "If I stay here any longer I'm going to lose my mind. Wait…" The sound of sniggering laughter. "You've got to be kidding me." Duck Hunt Duo laughed at him from the end of the pathway. "Alright, that's it this time." Snake pulled out a hand grenade and marched.

"Calm down," Mega Man shouted. "It's just a duck and a dog."

"It'll be just a dead duck and dog in a minute." Snake threw the grenade. The haze of smoke disappeared, and the duck was still there, mocking him. It turned and ran down the pathway. Snake charged after it. "Come back here you little female dog." Snake shuddered. "What the heck did you to do my codec, Colonel? Why am I swearing like a toddler?" He turned the corner, and there was the duo pointing at him again. He threw his last grenade. The smoke disappeared and there was nothing there. Then he heard the snickering from behind. The duo sped round the corner Snake had just come from.

"Snake," the Colonel said. "Don't you think you're letting your anger of this pet get the better of you."

"Shut up, Colonel." Snake explored his arsenal. "This ought to do the trick," he said, grinning. He pulled out his Nikita gun, crouched down and fired a missile guiding it around the corner.

 _BOOM!_

Something shuddered upon impact. "Gotya."

"Snake, you know the dangers of causing noise in this maze."

"That's why I told you to shut up, Colonel." He turned the corner and saw the trophy of Mr. Game & Watch and Mega Man both with a 200 over their heads, while a pair of eyeballs disappeared down the tunnel. The dog and duck were nowhere in sight. "Dammit!" He touched both trophies on the heart but neither revived.

 _Click._

Cold, hard metal pressed against his back. "You like to play with guns, huh, big boy?"

"Don't answer that, Snake. It's a trick question."

Snake rolled his eyes. "You think, Colonel?"

"Colonel?" Bayonetta said, pushing Love is Blue into Snakes back. "That be mistress to you."

"I wasn't talking to you, Lady, I…" Pikachu glared at him, flickers of electricity sparkling from his cheeks. "Will you calm your dog down, Ma'am. His static is interfering with my codec." Snake rubbed his eyes. "Wait a second. Is that the yellow cannibal who parades this maze?"

"Does he look like a cannibal to you?" Bayonetta said.

"Even so…" Snake turned to see Jigglypuff singing as she rolled around on her head. His jaw dropped in astonishment. "I don't even know what to say anymore."

Bayonetta dug her gun into his back. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger."

"I can get you out of this maze," Snake said. "I have a map on my codec which would work if you just calmed your dog down."

"Pika!" He gave Snake a little shock.

"Geesh! What is wrong with you!"

"That thing is not a dog, Snake," the Colonel's glitchy voice said. "It's a creature called a Pokémon."

"Pokémon?"

"That's right, Snake. A Pokémon is a…"

"I'm sure the dictionary corner really gets you off," Bayonetta said, overhearing the Colonel's explanation to Snake. "But we need to get going."

"Alright," Snake said. "Let me just look at the map. If we continue down this route we should soon come to an exit."

 _Waka Waka Waka Waka_.

"Sorry, Ma'am, did you just call me what I think you said?"

"Honey, I believe you are one of them, but I did not say it out loud. That be a noise coming from the one you call the yellow cannibal."

Pac-Man was coming.

Snake pulled out Cypher. "Hold on to me," he said. Bayonetta wrapped her arms around his stomach while Pikachu and Jigglypuff each grabbed one of his legs.

"Mind if I squeeze?" Bayonetta said.

"I could think of worse ways to die." Cypher lifted them in the air and carried them through the tunnels.

"Jiggly! Jigglypuff!" The Pokémon lost its grip, plummeting to the ground. Pac-Man closed in on her.

Bayonetta gasped. "No!" Pac-Man devoured the pink ball in one.

"Do you mind not squeezing as hard?" Snake said. Bayonetta growled in his ear. "On second thoughts, keep doing it." They came to a metal door decorated in fanciful, luminous blue wings. "They look familiar."

Sparks flew from Pikachu. "Pika! Pika!"

"Calm down!" Snake yelled. "You're burning my leg!" He let go of the Cypher, and they crashed in a heap on the ground.

Pac-Man blitzed towards them. _Waka Waka Waka Waka_.

Snake wheezed, veins coursing through his burning face as he tried to lift the door. "I can't budge it."

Bayonetta rolled her eyes. "Allow me." She moaned, sweat dripping down her forehead as she too could not move the door.

"Not so easy, huh?"

"Just shut up and help." Snake crouched down and together they lifted the door to the height of their shins. Their arms wobbled. "Hurry, little man!" Bayonetta yelled. "There is no time!"

Pikachu glanced back at Pac-Man and dashed through to the other side of the door. As it dropped behind him, both Bayonetta and Snake let out an almighty four-letter curse word.

Pikachu was out of the maze. Now, he was stood on a cosmic, purple pathway surrounded by Subspace. Alone.


	26. Subspace

**Subspace**

The Halberd broke through the atmosphere of the world, entering the cosmic realm of Subspace. King Dedede's eyes dazzled as he beheld the lights. "I never thought my kingdom would extend beyond the stars."

"What d'ya mean?" Kirby said.

"This is King Dedede's land now," Bandana Dee said. "As soon as he steps on land, it becomes his."

"Technically he hasn't actually stepped on it," Kirby said.

Bandana Dee held his finger up to argue. King Dedede placed a hand on him. "It's alright, li'l Dee. We'll just prove to that there Kirby that this is my land. Captain, open the ship doors."

"Are you an imbecile?" Captain Falcon asked. "You'll kill us all."

"But I wanna prove that this is my land, Darn it!" King Dedede grabbed the door and yanked. The Halberd shook, sending Bandana Dee rolling like a bowling ball into the wall. "Woops. I guess I don't know my own strength."

"I don't think that was you, King," Captain Falcon said, looking at the radar screen. "Somebody wants to take us down." He pushed a button on the dashboard, and the screen revealed a red tank-ship driven by Wolf. A laser beam charged from the Landmaster's cannon and blasted the Halberd with another shot.

The Halberd tumbled as Captain Falcon fought to keep control. "Don't worry," King Dedede said, laughing. "My minions will stop him." He held his hands up in the air and did a big, jolly dance.

"Err, King," Bandana Dee said. "You need a Smash Ball for that to work."

"I see," King Dedede said, rubbing his chin. "Alright. In that case, you get him."

Bandana Dee yelled as King Dedede grabbed him and threw him up the vent. He landed on top of the Halberd, his spear shaking in his hand as he stared into the eye of the big bad wolf.

"See," King Dedede said, looking at Bandana Dee on the screen. "He's breathing perfectly fine." He grabbed the microphone on the dashboard. "How's it going up there, li'l Dee."

"I don't think this was a smart idea, King," Bandana Dee replied. "The wolf's glaring at me. He's charging up his cannon and is pointing it right at me."

"Don't be so scared, li'l Dee. Just give his ship a jab with your spear."

"Oh, okay." Bandana Dee waddled forward, holding his spear out as he closed his eyes. There was an almighty bang.

"What was that?" Kirby asked. The Landmaster was on fire, dropping through Subspace. Bandana Dee slowly opened his eyes. He watched as a golden gunship landed on top of the Halberd. "Yeah! We've been saved." Kirby pressed a button on the dashboard, and the roof began to open.

"Are you nuts?" Captain Falcon yelled. "You don't know who you're letting in!"

Bandana Dee re-entered the Halberd alongside a bounty hunter in a red, orange and yellow armour suit. King Dedede laughed as he patted Bandana Dee on the back. The ship rocked as Captain Falcon jumped off his seat; Kirby quickly grabbed the steering wheel. Falcon marched up to Samus. "Alright, alien man. You may have fooled these buffoons, but you don't fool me. Why have you invaded our ship?"

Samus took off her helmet, her blonde ponytail dancing as she did so. Love hearts popped out of Captain Falcon's eyes. "You wouldn't help me get out of this armour, would you?" she said.

Captain Falcon puffed his chest out. "Yes!" He whizzed around Samus, taking her armour off in no time and revealing her blue jumpsuit.

Zero Suit Samus stretched her neck. "Ah, that's much comfier."

Falcon held out his hand. "Captain Falcon, m'lady. Let me be the first to welcome you onto my grand ship."

"Hey!" King Dedede said. "This is my ship!"

"Hey!" Kirby said. "This is Meta-Knight's ship!"

Samus looked down at Bandana Dee. "Is that really the creature that tried to beat Wolf all by itself?"

"I know," Captain Falcon said. "What a stupid idiot."

Samus bent down. "Aww." She rubbed him on the cheek. "What a brave little man."

"Aww, yeah," Captain Falcon said. "He sure is a fighter." He bent down, stroking Bandana Dee so firmly the little guy had to keep his bandana from falling off. "He's part of my trusty crew, m'lady. In fact, I'm sure my trusty crew have everything under control if you would so gladly like to accept my invitation to show ya moves."

"Wait," Samus said, looking up at the roof. "Something's wrong."

"Attack alert!" Kirby shouted, looking at the screen. A dark hedgehog floated in Subspace. It rolled up into a ball and hit the Halberd with an almighty charge.

"Open the roof," Samus ordered. Captain Falcon followed her out into the open space of Subspace. There were mirrors all over the stars, reflecting darker versions of themselves, the likes of Dark Samus and Blood Falcon. "We're in the dark reflection dimension."

"Fear not, m'lady," Captain Falcon said. "I will send this devil straight to heck."

"I can take care of myself." She reached out her Plasma Whip and cracked Shadow the hedgehog across the face.

Shadow grimaced. "Fool. You won't dare strike me again." She reached her whip out again. This time he dodged, whipping around the stars. She flicked it out again. His speed was too much, himself becoming a black blur as he spin dashed her and knocked her on her back.

"I'll get him, m'lady," Captain Falcon said. "I'm the fastest man in the world."

A blue blur whizzed across the sky and collided with Shadow. Shadow rubbed his groggy head, then his anger brought him back to focus. "It's you!"

The blue hedgehog pointed his finger. "I found you, faker!"

"Faker? I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me…ha! You're not even good enough to be"

"I'll make you eat those words!"

"my fake." Sonic rolled into a ball, spin dashing at Shadow and hurting him, and Shadow said, "I'm the coolest." He hit the dark hedgehog another three times, and he was defeated.

Sonic wagged his finger. "Even without wings, I can still fly!"

Captain Falcon shook his head. "What a jerk."

"Wow," Samus said. "That hedgehog speaks such inspirational words."

"Oh yeah," Captain Falcon said, forcing his biggest smile. "I was just saying what a jerk you'd have to be not to find him inspirational."

Sonic floated down joining them both on the top of the Halberd. "That was brilliant," Samus said. "I felt your presence in the wind."

Sonic smirked and raised an eyebrow. "That hedgehog ordered an extra-large clobbering, courtesy of me, Sonic the Hedgehog." Captain Falcon groaned, then forced out a laugh when Samus started laughing. They re-entered the ship.

Samus announced, "Guys, this is Sonic. This brave hedgehog saved us all." Everyone except Captain Falcon cheered.

"Thanks, Sonic," Kirby said. "We could hear how funny your jokes are from here."

"You know what they say?" Sonic said, smirking. "With every joke comes another laugh." Everyone except Captain Falcon laughed. King Dedede found it so funny he was rolling around the floor, crying with laughter.

"Oh yeah?" Captain Falcon said. "Well, I heard they said that with every joke comes great responsibility." Cricket sounds.

Sonic patted him on the shoulder. "Aww, good effort buddy. Keep trying, and one day, you'll tell a funny joke." He smiled at Samus, and she smiled back at him.

Captain Falcon muttered under his breath. "What a jerk."


	27. Icicle Mountain 5

**Icicle Mountain 5**

The mountain rumbled, and Nana began to wail. Mario kicked the door of the Landmaster. Fox pushed it open, his face red. "What's your problem?"

"Tell-a your friend to hurry up."

"Relax. He's here now." Strong gusts of air wafted from above, adding another layer of chill to the blistering temperatures. Fox sighed.

"What is it?" Pokémon Trainer asked.

Fox rubbed his forehead. "Why have they sent the Great Fox?"

"Relax, Fox," Falco said to him over his earpiece. "I'm here to save your behind once again."

"I thought you were bringing the Arwing?"

"Peppy told me there were a few of you. You can't all fit in an Arwing, you dumby."

Fox muttered under his breath. "That was the whole point."

"Besides, this way you get to listen to the new music project Slippy has been working on."

"Great. That's just what I need."

The Great Fox landed on the snow and opened its doors. "We need-a to move quick," Mario said. The icy surface of the mountain was breaking, purple tendrils emerging through the cracks. The group moved onto the opening ramp of the ship. An almighty roar caused the icy surface to shatter.

"What is that?" Captain Toad said.

"It's the rider in black!" Pokémon Trainer shouted.

Indeed, Ganondorf emerged through the hole in the mountain. But he was not alone. It was not just the cold that froze the Smashers in place as they stared at the devilish monster Ganondorf rode. A fearsome, purple beast. Ridley.

"Shut the doors, Falco," Fox ordered. "Everyone, get in." Pokémon Trainer jumped back out onto the snow. "What the hell are you doing?"

Pokémon Trainer stared defiantly into the face of the king of evil. "Somebody needs to stop them." His Poké Ball hit the cold surface, and out came a recharged Charizard. The Great Fox doors shut as the ship ascended. Pokémon Trainer climbed atop Charizard, and they rose into the sky. Two goliaths of the air stared across from each other. The fiery intensity in the eyes of Charizard, the all terror-inducing roar that came from Ridley.

Fox and the others joined Peppy, Slippy and Falco in the control room. "That's one crazy kid," Falco said, watching the Pokémon Trainer.

"Shouldn't we-a help him?" Mario said.

"It's too late," Fox said, watching the purple tendrils emerge over the mountain. "We must leave this place. Better only one of us dies than all of us." The Great Fox rose into the icy sky.

"Charizard," Pokémon Trainer yelled. "Use flamethrower!" A wave of fire left the dragons mouth. No order from Ganondorf was needed; Ridley let out his own wave of fire. The flames danced in the sky, turning the snowflakes to embers in the air. Ridley's fire overpowered Charizard and scorched his face. Charizard grunted as smoke blared out his nostrils. "Wait, Charizard. Don't lose composure." Charizard did not listen to his master. He zoomed forward, striking his tail at Ridley. Ridley stuck out his own tail, both beasts striking and blocking each other like they were fighting with swords. Charizard pulled out a rock and headbutted it into Ridley's face. Ridley roared, beaming a psychotic grin in Charizard's face—it was like he took pleasure out of the pain. He swung his claw, swiping the Pokémon Trainer into the sky. Charizard gasped, looking down at his master falling into the purple dome taking shape over the crumbling mountain. Ridley clutched Charizard around the neck. Charizard struggled, veins coursing through his eyes, smoke leaving his mouth as he let out desperate waves of fire. Ganondorf laughed, creating a purple forcefield around himself and Ridley. Little breaths of fire puffed out of Charizard, until he puffed out no more. Ridley let go of Charizard, watching him turn into a trophy as he fell through the sky.

Ganondorf smiled. He looked up at the glint shining amongst the clouds.


	28. Donkey Kong Island 2

**Donkey Kong Island 2**

Link paced down the hill until he could no longer breathe. He had not stopped for at least an hour; surely, he had made up enough ground on the corrupt dead. As he looked back, the castle was a haunting landmark atop the hill in the distance, dark clouds that looked like the Master Fortress looming over it. It was best to keep moving.

A shock panged in his heart as the bushes rustled. He slashed his sword, meeting another blade. "Relax, man. I'm not trying to hurt you."

Link recognised the man. Everything about him was familiar apart from his eyes. "You were in Dracula's Castle."

"I was," Shulk replied. "I haven't been sent by Dracula to defeat you, if that's what you think. I followed you because you might need my help. I fought off some of those he did send, but he will send more."

"Wait," Link said. "When I saw you you were possessed like everybody else. How are you not corrupt anymore?"

"One of the vampire slayers you were with performed a ritual on me whilst the fight was going on. Why he chose me, I do not know. He all but sacrificed himself doing so, since he had not the time to protect himself from those coming to attack." Shulk rubbed his chin. "Perhaps it was fate why I was saved. I know a path we can take to escape from those ghosts for good."

"Watch out!" Link yelled. He took out his crossbow and fired an arrow straight into the eye of a Bokoblin. It struggled on the ground, an unnatural purple glow radiating around it. A purple haze was coming in the distance. "Let's move." Shulk took him down through the trees, coming to river bathed with the golden light of the sunset. "I don't recognise this lake."

"We're a long way from Hyrule, Link." Link held his sword to Shulk's neck. Shulk put his hands up. "Take it easy."

"How do you know my name?"

"I learnt it when my spirit was taken by Dracula. We were all given the names of those we had to stop."

Link put his sword down. "Why did you have to stop us?"

"They tried to keep that a secret from us. I can tell you that Dracula is working for somebody else, harvesting the spirits of all those he can to impress his master. I'm sure you've seen those purple domes?" Shulk cast his hand to the one on the other side of the river. "A regular man cannot survive inside one of them. But with our spirits possessed we could live in there like there was absolutely nothing wrong. It is obvious to me what is happening. Somebody is clearing out the world and trying to fill it with their own corrupt creatures. It's like somebody is playing god." The purple haze was drawing nearer. "We better go. They won't be able to get across the water." Shulk pulled back leaves on the shore and revealed the tiny boat.

They swept across the water, heading in the direction of the purple dome on the other side. "Why are you taking us to that?" Link asked. "Is this a trap?"

"We're not heading for the island," Shulk said. "We're heading for that." Shulk pointed at the crocodile fortress just off the side of the island. "The owner of that fortress works for the same person Dracula works for. I happen to know the one they work for dwells somewhere amongst the stars."

"How, exactly?"

"I saw it in a vision."

"A vision?"

"You're just going to have to trust me. If we want to get there, we'll sneak aboard and take the fortress to Subspace."

"Won't they see us?"

"I don't know. There used to be a light that beamed out of the crocodile's mouth that searched for intruders. Perhaps they turned it off when the island was taken over by corruption." The sea rumbled. The crocodile fortress moved, lifting out the water. "It must have been called back by its master. We'll have to be quick." A Tidal wave reached out of the water, spreading from the fortress like the Master Hand of the ocean. "We'll have to be careful."

Link murmured something. Blue lights glazed over his eyes. "You can't come back," he said, looking over the side of the water. "You're at the bottom of the ocean. You're defeated."

"Link!" Shulk shouted. "Link, snap out of it!" He splashed water at him, but it did nothing. The tidal wave was closing in on them. "Damn it!" He looked at the Monado. "I hope you can swim, Link." He lifted the Monado, and a green kanji appeared behind him. He placed Link's arm around his shoulder and jumped, ascending over the tidal wave as it crashed into the small boat. He raised the Monado in mid-air, this time a blue kanji appearing behind him. They landed in the water, and Link let out an almighty gasp, shaking his wet head. "Glad to see you back with us." Shulk swam through the water like he was killer shark. Another wave headed towards them. "I'm going to need you to keep us afloat, Link." He raised his Monado, and Link took the brunt of their weight to stay afloat. A yellow kanji appeared behind them. Shulk held up the Monado and shielded them both from the waves. As he tried to swim, he could not keep up the pace he had previously set. The fortress was rising further into the sky. "Argh! We're not going to make it."

"Take our weight," Link said. He pulled out his hookshot. His narrowed his eyes, looking for the right place on the bottom of the fortress. He found his target and let the chains loose. CLINK! He and Shulk were yanked out of the water, hanging in the air from the hook. They climbed up the side of the fortress, sneaking inside an entrance.


	29. Skyworld

**Skyworld**

The Great Fox soured through the clouds. "How we doing, Falco?" Fox asked.

"We should have enough energy to reach Subspace."

"Hey, Fox," Slippy said. "Do you wanna hear the new music project I've been working on."

"I don't want to hear that now, Slippy. Or ever for that matter."

"Come on, Fox. You'll love it." Slippy plugged in the massive musical machine he had created. He plucked the guitar and a single massive wave of sound came out. Everyone held their hands to their ears as the after effects of the sound vibrated.

The Great Fox began to dip. "Well done, Slippy," Falco said. "It looks like you've used up the last of our energy."

Fox buried his head in his hands. "Well that's just fantastic."

"No point staying in here like a sitting bird. We might as well look around." Falco landed the falling ship on the clouds. The group got out.

"Woah," Popo said. "Me and Nana have climbed through the clouds many times. We've never walked upon them."

"At least it's-a not those clouds that fade away," Mario said, prodding the surface with his foot.

They walked the clouds, eventually coming to a land of buildings, temples and roads built in the sky. There was a clicking sound. "We've been expecting you." An angelic creature stood atop a roof aiming a loaded bow at them. "You better come with me." Falco and Fox pulled out their guns. "I wouldn't do that if I was you," Pit said. He fired his arrow, which split in two directions as if he has fired two. The animals' jaws dropped at the arrows disappearing into the distance. "Now, please. Come with me."

Pit led them inside an ancient temple which looked as holy as the rest of the city in the sky. There was a goddess at the back of the room, her back to the group. "Well done, Pit. I'll take it from here." Palutena turned around, a warm smile on her face, a staff in her hand. "I'm glad you came. That means all hope is not lost."

"What do you mean?" Captain Toad said.

"You must have seen the purple domes emerging in the world below. Everything in life is not as it should be. A great evil stands on the brink of devouring not only this world, but the entire universe. Come." She beckoned them over with her finger, to the mystical cauldron by her midriff. "I have seen the orchestra of all this chaos within my cauldron. He demanded I surrender Skyworld, or he would send a great evil to wipe me out. I watched you fly through the sky. You reached us before evil could plague this land. Perhaps fate is giving us a chance. Skyworld has not yet fallen. You see that door to my left?" The door radiated in a golden glow. "That is a secret passage to space. We can take it and escape from the evil that heads this way. Or, we can take the chance fate has given us by bringing us all together and send evil back into the underworld where it belongs."

"Let's-a go!" Mario said.

"I'm in!" Toad said.

"Us two!" Popo said as Nana jumped up and down.

"On behalf of our team I'd like to declare our support for this battle," Peppy said.

"Are you mad, Peppy?" Fox said.

"He has a point, Peppy," Falco said. "There's an escape right there. Why should we fight?"

"You don't understand," Palutena said. "Sure, you can run now, and you'll be safe. But only for a short while. We may fall, and the corruption of evil will spread to furthest galaxies of space. If you do not fight, eventually, you will be taken down."

"Suppose you've got a point," Falco said. "What d'ya say Fox?"

He sighed. "Fine. We'll fight that stupid dragon-looking thing. Even though we just wasted our entire ship's fuel to get away from it."

* * *

The clone of Pit lingered within the clouds, watching Ganondorf and Ridley ascend. "Greetings," Dark Pit said to him. "Perhaps I can be of assistance to you both. I know where…"

Ridley bit Dark Pit's head off and spat him into the sky.

* * *

Palutena's army lined up along the clouds. Palutena, Pit, Mario, Toad, the Ice Climbers, and Team Star Fox stood in the centre of the army. There was a curdling shriek. Evil and his beast reared their ugly heads. Palutena banged down her staff. "Fire!" Her army released their bows, unleashing a blue hurricane of arrows. Ganondorf cast his arm out, creating a purple forcefield that protected them both from the first wave of arrows. "Keep firing," Palutena said. "They can't shield themselves forever." Pit joined in with the army, as did Team Star Fox who fired the laser beams from their guns.

Mario led Toad and the Ice Climbers forward. Palutena charged her staff and fired a blue beam that pierced through Ganondorf's forcefield. Ridley screamed, letting out a wave of fire over her army. Captain Toad threw his rope, hooking it around Ridley's leg. Before Ridley could deal with the pest, Palutena fired another blue laser. Ganondorf jumped from Ridley, holding a hand up and creating a purple mist that absorbed the power of Palutena's attack. Ridley looked down to see the Ice Climbers climbing the rope connecting to him. He swiped his tail, whacking them into the sky. Mario jumped over Ridley's tail as it came around once more. Toad could not do such a thing, receiving a stinging crack on the head that sent him following after the Ice Climbers. Ridley kicked Mario, sending him flying over Palutena's army and crashing into her temple. Ridley puffed his chest out and roared, hovering over Palutena and unleashing a wave of fire. She turned her attack from Ganondorf, using her staff to create a reflecting barrier. Ridley swivelled out the way of the fire that bounced back his way.

Palutena's army closed in on Ganondorf. A sadistic smirk rose to his face. He pulled out his sword, cutting through them whilst he forged a purple forcefield to protect himself in his free hand. Pit flew down at his feet. "Why won't you just leave us in peace?" he yelled. Ganondorf grabbed him by the neck and cut the wings from his body.

"We've gotta get out of here, Fox," Falco said. To the side of them, fire recoiled from Palutena's shield and set her army on fire, including Peppy and Slippy.

"You're right," Fox said. "We should have never tried to fight them in the first place." They snuck away, heading towards Palutena's temple.

"Hey!" Mario said, holding his hurting head. "Where are you-a going?"

"The fight is over," Fox said. "We're not defeating them."

"You can't give up! They're killing them!"

"Give up, man. Some fights you just can't win. Let's go down that secret passageway and live to fight another day."

"No!" Mario's eyebrows came together. "I will not run away." He turned, and Palutena's staff smacked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He held his head, dizzy.

Wicked laughter filled the air as Ganondorf slaughtered the army, the heavenly landscape of Skyworld overcome by the hellish purple haze of the underworld. Palutena screamed as Ridley climbed on top of her. Fox and Falco lifted Mario by his shoulders and carried him into the temple, heading towards the passageway to space.


	30. Subspace 2

**Subspace 2**

The Halberd bounced, rocking through the asteroids of Subspace. "Come on, Kirby," King Dedede said. "I thought you said this was your Halberd?"

"Meta-Knight was the one who said that," Kirby said. "It's hard to fly this thing steady when there's so many asteroids."

The ship jolted, a thundering crack smashing into the back of it. "You could at least avoid driving into asteroids we've already passed," King Dedede said.

Captain Falcon looked at the radar screen. "I don't think that was an asteroid."

Cannonballs fired out of the crocodile's mouth of the fortress. The only thing protecting the Halberd was the same asteroids that were such a nuisance to manoeuvre around. The back of the Halberd exploded as a cannonball smashed it open. The Smashers inside screamed as they grabbed hold of what parts of the ship they could. King Dedede went tumbling like a bowling ball. "Argh! Help me!"

Bandana Dee jumped from the wall he was holding, aiding Dedede in no way whatsoever as he tumbled after him into outer space.

King laughed, aiming his cannon at the inside of the Halberd. Footsteps pattered behind him, arrogant footsteps that were not even trying to sneak up on him. Link stood there, the master sword hanging low in his hand. snarled as he stared him down. "Ganondorf warned me about you."

"I knew he would," Link said. "It's the one he didn't warn you about you should worry about."

"Huh?"

Shulk poked the Monado through his bloated belly. fell down, defeated.

"We should take control of this fortress," Link said. "Do you think you can fly this thing?"

"I guess," Shulk replied. "Where are we flying to?"

"The big boss dwells here in Subspace. Somewhere he'll hide amongst the sta…"

King leapt up and sliced Shulk across the face. He darted across the room, smacking his head against the wall and becoming a trophy. 's eyes bulged with anger as he stared down at Link. "It is the one who is dead that you should worry about." He raised his claw as he shadowed over Link like the behemoth he was. The fortress turned sideways, and was sucked out of a hole into Subspace.

Link went falling after him, exiting the wound a giant asteroid had blown into the vessel. He pulled out his paraglider, trying to drift his way towards the Halberd. _Almost there_. 's crown flew through space and cracked him on the head. He let go of his paraglider, catching the edge of the Halberd by his fingertips.

Samus reached out her plasma whip. "Here. Hold this."

"Yah!" Link yelled as an electric current surged through his body. Samus whipped her weapon back, sending him through the air. She held out a hand and caught him by his.

Kirby turned to Captain Falcon. "Take control of the ship." Captain Falcon obliged, grabbing the steering wheel as Kirby flew towards the hole in the back of the Halberd. Kirby puffed in one almighty breath, beckoning forward an asteroid that wedged the hole in the back of the Halberd shut.

* * *

"You're-a both cowards. You made me run away!"

"We saved your behind," Falco said. "A thank you would be nice."

"Thank you?" Mario shouted. "For what? Letting evil win?"

"We didn't let it win," Fox said. "We tried. We just gave up."

"Pika, Pika!"

Falco pulled out his gun. "Better not to take any chances."

"What's-a wrong with you?" Mario shouted.

"We don't know what this creature is. Better to get rid of it before we find out too late."

"No!" Mario set Falco ablaze with a fireball. The bird screamed, cooking beneath the flames as the stench of meat rose through the air.

"What did you do that for?" Fox yelled.

"He was-a going to kill that creature."

"The only one who killed anyone is you."

"Pika." Pikachu smiled, scratching his ear with his leg.

Mario and Fox's tension died down. Falco burned into a trophy. Fox shook his head. "We better make it through this."

"Pika." Pikachu rushed towards the silver lights glinting ahead on the cosmic road. He weaved in and out of trophies lying on the ground.

Mario's eyes widened. "I know him! That's Waluigi! Wait, I know all of these people." A line of trophies of those who regularly visited the Mushroom Kingdom led to two cages.

The creatures inside sat up when they saw Mario approach. "Yoshi!" The dinosaur looked somewhat haggard.

"What has-a happened?"

Donkey Kong rattled the cage. "We were taken from my island by a giant hand. Then he handed us over to a crazy giant hand. He's been playing with us one by one, beating our bodies down until we become trophies, then reviving us only to fulfil his sick fantasies." Donkey Kong rattled the cage some more. "You've got to get us out of here."

"We should move on before whoever locked these up comes back," Fox said.

"Go then," Mario said. "You go all by yourself, ignoring every danger in Subspace. One day, you might be the only one left standing against all the enemies, and you'll have no friends to help you because you were not there to help them survive."

"WAHAHAHA!" Crazy Hand emerged from the distant space.

Fox grunted. "Fine. I'll stay and fight. But if I die here I'll be very annoyed."

Crazy Hand floated in the air, constantly wiggling his fingers. He dragged them across, ripping a hole in space and creating a blackhole. Mario, Pikachu and Fox lifted off the ground, yelling as they were sucked towards the hole. Just before they were swept into the eye of the hole, space recovered. A Smash Ball appeared from where the blackhole had been.

Down below, Crazy Hand was twitching, buried beneath the wreckage of the Halberd. Kirby devoured both cages that held Yoshi and Donkey Kong in place. He spat them out, and the two animals were free.

"Hey, my friend," Sonic said, stroking Yoshi on the head. "Are you alright?" Samus laughed as Yoshi nuzzled his head on Sonic.

"I can be good with animals too," Captain Falcon muttered under his breath. "Hey, my friend," he said, stroking Donkey Kong's head. The ape's eyes popped out of their sockets. "Are you alright?" Donkey Kong punched him in the face, sending him flying.

Crazy Hand burst forth from beneath the Halberd. "WAHAHAHA!" He shot lasers from each of his fingers, aiming them around the ground.

Sonic weaved in and out of the beams, pulling each fighter to safety. He wagged his finger. "You're too slow."

"Stupid hedgehog," Captain Falcon said, still clambering to his feet after the mighty smack from Donkey Kong. Crazy Hand caught Sonic in his arrogance, pushing his weight down upon him. Falcon instinctively dashed forward, placing himself beneath Crazy Hand and trying to aid Sonic in lifting him up.

"Hold him still," Samus shouted. She whipped the stray Smash Ball open and radiated in fluorescent colours. She let loose on Crazy Hand, sparking with electrical attacks that even Falcon and Sonic could never be quick enough to avoid. Crazy Hand fell to the ground, letting roll the two trophies that were now Captain Falcon and Sonic. Samus emerged back in her suit. Link, Kirby, Fox, Mario, Pikachu, Donkey Kong and Yoshi each jumped on Crazy Hand, striking him and making him stay down for good.

Samus put her hand on Captain Falcon's heart, but he would not revive. "Too late for that," Link said, looking up at the blue storm in the distance, the lights reflecting in his eyes. "There are no more second chances. Their future now relies on us. Our fate will soon be decided."

* * *

Ganondorf dismounted Ridley as they came to the edge of the path in space. He hanged back and narrowed his eyes at Ridley, letting him move ahead of him. He held his arm up to strike, when a memory flashed across his eyes. Suddenly, Ridley was Bowser walking along. Shockwaves ran through Ganondorf. He had been here before. He lifted his eyes to see a limp Master Hand held in place by golden chains that led to fiery red and blue lights above. The thing in the space let go of the chains and let Master Hand drop to the ground. Then the thing said, "You've seen this before, haven't you?"

Ridley roared in Ganondorf's face and bolted through him like a bullet.

Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Samus, Kirby, Pikachu and Fox watched as Ridley ripped Ganondorf's throat out. They turned to see the blue one in the sky, and it wasn't just Link whose memory was suddenly riddled with awful images. The blue one above spread out his wings. "Finally, you all remember."

"It is you," Link said, he like everybody else remembering the original Subspace invasion, remembering all the suffering that had been inflicted upon the world.

"Yes, it is I. Tabuu." He swept out his wings, blasting out three red bubbles. The Smashers fell to the ground upon impact. He turned himself into a sharp arrow and shot forward, narrowly avoiding the Smashers. As he floated back in place, Fox jetted behind him, charging himself in flames and firing up and colliding with Tabuu. Tabuu shocked him with an array of volatile purple sparks, and Fox turned into a trophy.

"Yoshi!" The dinosaur rolled himself up into an egg, bouncing along the ground and jumping above Tabuu. He broke out his egg, swivelled himself round and pounded Tabuu's head with a Yoshi Bomb. Tabuu scowled as he felt the back of his neck. He swivelled a blade in his hands and shot it straight through Yoshi, turning him into a trophy.

He turned his attention to the other Smashers, shooting out a fast, razor sharp whip dazzling with sparks. Samus and Link each shot out their plasma whip and hookshot, fighting against Tabuu as he forced forward. Donkey Kong launched Mario above Tabuu's head who scourged him with fireball after fireball. Donkey Kong himself wound up a punch whilst Pikachu looked to the heavens and struck Tabuu with a shocking dose of electricity. Tabuu lost control of his whip. Donkey Kong jumped forward, punching Tabuu right in the gut. Kirby floated above Tabuu, spotting dead Master Hand as he did so. He used all his energy to transform into the shape of Master Hand and crashed down on Tabuu's head with a mighty punch.

Tabuu's blue body flashed with fluorescent colours of yellow and green. Ridley screamed as he was sucked towards him, a darkness that was like the Master Fortress shredding his scales until his was but a black dragon head. Tabuu cast the dragon head beneath him and fired a blinding beam from its mouth that shot straight through Donkey Kong and Samus, leaving no trace of either, nor Ridley. Tabuu disappeared for a moment, only to reappear as a giant head. Link, Kirby, Pikachu and Mario each surrounded themselves in a protective bubble, expecting laser beams to soon come firing out of Tabuu's eyes. Instead, his mouth disintegrated, his nose went up in flames, his forehead went down in a frenzy of volatile sparks. All that was left was his eyes, then one eye, which was plunged behind a black hole and replaced by a giant, maddened, red veined eye that threatened to burn a hole through them all.

"How fitting. My four favourite toys will be the last ones to fall. It is almost like it is fate."

"What are you?" Link said.

"I am Master Eye. I have watched over your world for almost two decades. For nineteen years, you have all given me great joy, playing with your souls." He blinked, ripping open a hole in the space and revealing the massive background of trophies floating behind him. The Smashers gasped at the colossal collection of bodies, many friends they had only recently departed with. In fact, Samus, Donkey Kong, Yoshi and Fox all stood at the centre of the collection. "But I have decided I have grown bored with your lives. Now, I will destroy your world and replace you with new toys. Or should I say, new tools to keep everybody in line." He cast an image in his pupil of a world populated by Miis governed by a hierarchy of Wii Leaders, their lives dictated by Wii Bosses, their brief moment of rest spent being criticised by Wii Trainers. "It is time your world grew up," the Master Eye said. "I have known you all for so long. It would be a shame to throw you four away like trash, just like I have done with the rest of you. How about you go out on an intimate note, feeling the love of my stare as I show you all what hurts you the most?"

The four's eyes blazed in fire as Master Eye stared into the centre of their souls. Pikachu screamed in agony, burning himself in his own electric waves as he was returned to the laboratory where he was experimented on and tortured. Link quickly turned into a madman as he was swept through the same three day cycle inside his head which always ended with the moon crash landing on him no matter what he did. Kirby was sucked into the nightmare he had when he had eaten a deadly, infected monster and all the sickness that ran through his body never ending. Perhaps most painful of all, Mario was brought back to the dark period of his life he tried to keep secret, when he had been a Dr performing false medical practices on Goombas he had captured for the benefit of his own health. Nobody but he and Master Eye knew this, but his experiments on them had been how he had found out so many secrets of the Mushroom Kingdom, like how Fire Flowers and mushrooms worked, and how he gained the formula to ensure he beat Bowser every time. Slowly, a layer of stone was fossilising over the four Smashers.

Somebody moved in beside the fighters. Master Eye flicked his view to the side. "You? I forgot about you. Not to worry. You'll face the same fate as everybody else." But as Master Eye looked over the motorbike and into the pits of its owner, he found there was nothing inside his soul that tormented him. Wario turned around and farted.

The Smashers gasped on the ground. Master Eye cried a waterfall of tears as his surface began to glaze over with pink. Four Smash Balls fell out of his iris. Mario, Link, Pikachu and Kirby each smashed one up, radiating in a luminous glow. "Pikachu!" Pikachu turned into a giant electric bolt, storming into Master Eye and sizzling him with a blazing current that sent shock waves through the veins of his eye.

Kirby pulled out the Ultra Sword, whipping up a frenzy as he sliced the surface of the eye, leaving behind dizzying rainbow lights in its pupil as it bled. Link summoned the Triforce as he attacked the eye with an onslaught of sword strikes, causing the tears of blood to monsoon down his surface.

"Oh yeah!" Mario shouted as he unleashed a tornado of fire, burning through the cuts on the inside of the eye and incinerating Master Eye until he was nothing but a white orb. Master Eye's eyelid shut, and Subspace disappeared.

* * *

The awful stench filled Mario's nose. He awoke to the sound and sight of Wario farting in his face.

"Wario!" Peach came from the side, holding healthy food that made Wario run back to his bike. Mario studied the kart he was seated in. "Are you alright, Mario?" Peach asked.

He looked up and down the racing grid spotting the usual suspects, Luigi, Bowser, Yoshi, Donkey Kong. He noted Isabelle and Villager; of course, they were representing the Town since they had agreed to hold the race in front of their spectators. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted the pink ball riding on a star. "Who is-a that?"

Peach laughed. "That's Kirby, silly. You invited him, remember?" Mario held his hurting head, trying to search for some memory of the pink ball. Brief flashes of the creature's face came to him, yet he knew not where from. "I better take my place in my kart. The race will be starting soon." Peach scurried across the road back into her kart. As Lakitu waved the starting flag, Mario kept the gaze on the one Peach called Kirby. The creature seemed innocent enough—a little confused looking if anything. Mario let his worries slide to the back of his mind as he put his foot down on the acceleration peddle.

* * *

Zelda took off her Sheik attire now that she had travelled safely across Hyrule. She took Link off the back of her horse, carrying his sleeping body into the Shrine of Resurrection. She had found him in his current state, unable to wake him as if he had already joined the dead. A sense of dread filled her. Was this an omen from Hylia herself? Was the legendary hero pre-emptively being put to rest for the inevitable rise of Ganon? Zelda would not take any chances. She placed Link back into the shrine and shut the stone entrance behind her.

What Zelda, nor any of the world knew, was that Link was not sleeping, but fighting the force of an evil which was not Ganondorf. Link suffered the worst fate of all. He was burdened by Master Eye, still staring into his soul, still forcing him to relive that awful day the moon fell on Termina over and over again. Everybody else in the world could forget the destruction caused by Master Eye so long as Link kept living the same nightmare over and over again. As soon as he gave in and woke up, the horrible cycle of Master Eye would begin again. But why should Link be the one to suffer over and over again? That was because Link was the only one who knew the true identity of Master Eye. When all others had seen a white eye, he had seen the fiery red and yellow eye with the poisonous green iris the eye really was. The eye belonged to a devil that should be feared even more than Ganondorf. Ganondorf was a tyrant who would at least bring peace to all those he killed. The Master Eye was a fearsome deity that would make all suffer in torment in hell.

Link's suspicions were answered every time the angry moon landed on his head. Master Eye opened up its other eye, and all the facial features came into place and so did the creature that brought all of Link's childish fears rising to the surface. Majora's Wrath looked into his soul, punishing him for what he had not let him to do the world. And as he stared into the core of the devil, all he heard was the voice of the Happy Mask Salesman in his head. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

But there was hope. A soothing voice entered his nightmares, blinding the terror in a heavenly light. "Link," it said. "Link. Listen to me. I can save you. You must listen to me."

Link struggled to think the words to respond. "What… what must I do."

"It's alright, Link. All you have to do is wake up."

"I… I can't. Master Eye…"

"There is no need to fear Master Eye. You are all strong enough to defeat Master Eye for good. Here is what you must do, Link. Do you remember the first time you defeated Tabuu? Do you remember the cliff you all met at after you had ended the Subspace invasion? First, you must preserve the fallen spirits that still haunt the hallways of Dracula's Castle. Then, you must round up every Smasher, Link, and you must all meet at the cliff you last stood together upon. Only when you are all together can you save the world. Hurry! There isn't much time."

Link listened to the soothing voice inside his head, and finally gave up fighting the nightmare. Little did he know, Master Eye was gone for good. The one plaguing his slumber with terror was not Majora. He had perhaps made the greatest mistake of his life. He would round up the Smashers and would play right into the ruse of the deity who was more dangerous than Tabuu could have ever been. It was time for a new enemy to rise in the world. His name…

Galeem.

 _The End_

* * *

Hi All,

Just like to say thanks to anyone who read this and all those who reviewed it. Apologies it couldn't be longer and that it was a bit rushed towards the end, but I wanted to finish this before Smash Ultimate came out. I tried to include every playable character in the story, even if some were only mentioned for a brief moment. I kind of mentioned Piranha Plant in the first chapter with the line 'ghastly plants' (not that it matters. I'm sure the next bizarre DLC character won't be featured anywhere in here). Anyway, thanks for reading.


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